The Chaser
by Firebolt909
Summary: Epilogue added 22 April Ginny Weasley becomes the new Gryffindor Chaser and the voices in Harry's head take over.
1. The Idea

A/N: No, I'm not giving up on "La Belle et La Bete," my Remus/Belle story, but I have had this idea in my head for quite somet

A/N:This was just a bit of fun to while my troubles away.This isn't meant to be taken seriously.I've been told to add the warning that food and/or drink should not be consumed whilst reading this.

Fred and George Weasley, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and Lee Jordan are all one year older than Harry, Ron and Hermione for the purposes of this story.

Disclaimer:Everything to do with Harry Potter belongs to JKR, Warner Bros. and AOL Time Warner.I'm making no money off of this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quidditch Trials

Held Friday Afternoon

4pm

See Madam Hooch for Details 

Ginny Weasley re-read the sign twice, a thought taking root in her head.Katie Bell was out with an injury she received over the summer.Gryffindor needed a new Chaser.She should do it.She could do it; she had had experience enough playing with her brothers for the past fifteen years.Biting her lip, she decided to meet Madam Hooch.

****

"Well, Ginny.I certainly am surprised.Never thought you would have any interest in Quidditch, other than as a spectator," Madam Hooch looked over at the young redhead sitting across from her in her office.

"To be honest, Madam Hooch, I think I could be a good Chaser.I just need the chance," Ginny replied, inwardly rolling her eyes.Why did it always seem as if no one ever have any faith in her?

"Well, of course it will be up to the co-captains and the rest of the Gryffindor team, which shouldn't be too difficult, considering that three of them are your brothers."

Ginny's heart plummeted.Her brothers would most likely have a fit, when they saw that she'd signed up.They'd be her biggest obstacle to get past.

"Well, there's nothing left to do but wish you good luck and we'll see you on the pitch Friday for tryouts," Madam Hooch said, shuffling papers on her desk and looking at Ginny expectantly.

"There's uh, one more thing, Madam.Could you possibly _not_ mention this to my brothers?They seem to be a bit overprotective when it comes to me," Ginny asked, holding her breath.Overprotective was an understatement.Those gits are always doing something to annoy her; such as insist that they know her whereabouts at all times.They'd been like that ever since Voldemort's return to power.Her parents were even worse, making her owl them at least twice a week.Ginny supposed it was because of what happened during her first year, when the Dark Lord had used her to re-open the Chamber of Secrets, but she had grown up so much since then.

If Madam Hooch was surprised at her question,she hid her expression well."Uh, sure, Ginny.I won't say a word."

Ginny finally smiled."Thanks, Madam."

********************

That night in the Gryffindor common room, the students were in an uproar."We've _got_ to get a new Chaser!" shouted Fred angrily at the room in general.

"Cheer up, Fred," said his twin George."Madam Hooch already said we had _one_ person who was interested."

"ONE!And she wouldn't even tell us who it was!" their brother Ron joined in, his face getting redder by the minute."Said the person wanted to remain anonymous until the tryouts!WHO IS IT!?" He bellowed this out to the rest of the students, who each looked at each other questioningly.

Ginny sat huddled up in her favorite nook under the girls' dormitory stairs, secretly smiling to herself.Fred and George were both Co-Captains and the Beaters of the team, while their younger brother Ron was Keeper.The twins were in their final year at Hogwarts, and were desperate to keep up the Gryffindor Team's winning streak.Thee large, shining gold cups sat on either side of the mantelpiece in the common room, one from last year when the Quidditch tournament had been reinstated, another from Ginny's second year, and the last one was a tribute to when Ginny's oldest brother Charlie was on the team.

Just then, another's voice interrupted her thoughts."Well, whoever it is," Harry Potter said reasonably, "They've got a pretty good chance of getting on the team, since no one else has signed up to try out."Ginny could almost imagine the eager look in his sparkling green eyes, (she couldn't see him from her nook), wondering who could've signed up for the team anonymously.

_Oooh, I just can't wait to see the expression on Harry's face when he sees it's the little mouse he's practically ignored for the past four years trying out to be on his perfect Quidditch team_, she grinned to herself._Dear God, I'm sorry Katie got hurt this summer in Scandinavia, but Thank You so much._

Ginny had been in love with Harry Potter ever since she'd first seen him, standing on the platform at King's Cross Station, fear and nervousness etched on his face as he walked aboard to start his first year at Hogwarts.She was only ten years old, but Ginny's perfect memory could recall that day in an instant.She knew all about him, every kid in the wizarding world did, but she just somehow _knew_ that she'd meet him one day.A child fantasy to be sure, but Ginny's hopes were not unfounded when it turned out that her brother Ron was actually _best friends_ with him.That first summer he'd spent at The Burrow, Ginny never spoke to him at all, just kept on peeking out at him from behind closed doors, or out of open windows, blushing furiously every time he so much as spared her a second glance.And that's all she'd ever gotten from him, _second glances_._Well, except for the time when he'd saved me from the Chamber of Secrets_, she amended quickly.And the time that Fred and George sent him that awful Valentine and timed it just so it would appear that she'd done it.Oh, but she got those two back for that little stunt by placing a curse on their room so that everything was turned upside-down for a week.

Her thoughts settling back on Harry, Ginny knew he'd have to recognize her as something more than his best friend's sister if she got on the team.And Ginny was doing her best to make sure she got on the team.


	2. The Tryout

"Ginny

"Ginny!Psssst! Ginny!"Ginny looked up from her chair in the common room to see Hermione Granger motioning her to come over.Ginny threw down her Potions homework and walked over to the brunette, who was immersed in homework.

Hermione's eyes danced excitedly, just like she had solved an important mystery."I think I know who the new Chaser might be."Ginny's own eyes widened.Hermione _was_ undoubtedly the smartest witch in her year, Ginny didn't expect that her friend would be the one to blow her cover, not with only two days left until the tryouts.

"Oh," Ginny replied, hoping she added just the right amount of curiosity in her tone."Who is it, then?"

"Don't worry, I won't tell," whispered Hermione."I think it's great!We need more women on the Quidditch teams and it would just irk Ron to no end!"

Ginny was flabbergasted."Who are you talking about?"

Hermione shot her a knowing look."Who do _you_ think?"

"How did you figure it out?"Ginny looked around, making sure no one was listening in to the conversation.

"Oh, please.I've seen you fly.You make that old Shooting Star of Charlie's look like a Firebolt when you hop on it!" Hermione praised."Besides, I knew there just had to be a reason that the identity was kept secret."

Ginny was torn between horror and embarrassment at the compliment from her friend."You really do think I can do it, then?"

Before Hermione could reply, Ron and Harry both plopped down in the vacant chairs acrossfrom the girls."Damn it!" said Ron angrily. "That old slimy git made us scrub the entire dungeon floor!On our hands and knees!"Ron held up his hands, which were indeed very grimy and very red.Blisters were starting to form on his palms."I won't be able to hold a quill for a week!"

Harry nodded as he too held his hands up for inspection."That's the last time we ever try to sneak out of Potions class to go meet the team for a bit of extra practice!" he added forcefully.

"Silly idea as well," Hermione scolded."What on earth possessed you two to go have Quidditch practice right in the middle of the day?"

"Well…" began Ron, glancing slyly at Hermione."We were actually going to sneak down to Hooch's office to see if we could find the name of the new Chaser."

"What?"Ginny exclaimed, her mouth nearly touching her toes.She should've never had this stupid idea in the first place, if she only knew all the trouble it was going to cause.

"Well, we're dying to know who it is!"Harry defended."I mean why on earth would anyone want to keep it a secret, unless it was something terribly important?"

Ron, meanwhile, was studying his girlfriend, who suddenly was very, very fascinated with her homework."What do you know, Hermione?"He asked, taking the quill from her to get her attention.

"Ron! Give that back!"Ron's long arms held it out of her reach.

"Oh, come on! I know you know something.You've got that glint in your eye!"Ginny was suddenly terrified.The main reason she wanted her identity kept secret was because if before the week was ended, and she had come to her senses, she could easily back out, with no one the wiser.

"I do not!" Hermione scoffed. "I know nothing more about this than you do."That must have appeased Ron because he handed back her quill and with a quick kiss to her cheek, was off to take a shower.

Ginny turned to find Harry staring at her._I must have it written on my face_, she thought miserably."What is it, Harry?" she asked.__

Harry blinked."Oh, nothing," he said hurriedly. "I need to go take a shower too.I'll see you two tomorrow." And he was off, going up the stairs leading to the boys' dormitory.

Ginny stared after him.He had been acting strangely lately.  
  
"So, anyway, I think this is great," Hermione continued, as if they had never been interrupted by the presence of Ron and Harry."Ron absolutely _hates_ it when I know something he doesn't.This'll drive him nuts!"Hermione was grinning madly.

Ginny couldn't help it.She grinned too. "I'm glad I can bring so much joy to my friends' lives."

*********************

Ginny could barely keep her mind concentrated on her work on Friday.The tryouts began in only a few hours time.What in Heaven's name possessed her to do such a stupid thing?She was probably going to fall straight off the broom or do some other silly thing in front of Harry and the rest of the team.As the time drew nearer, Ginny felt like she swallowed a whole tub of flobberworms.She hardly ate any lunch, just stirred the food around on her plate as she listened to the rest of the Gryffindors talk animatedly about the identity of the Chaser.

At three-thirty, Ginny walked up to the common room, her bag slung over her shoulder.Hermione met her at the portrait hole.

"Ready Ginny!" Hermione was almost dancing.

"I guess so," she replied, thinking about how nice it would be just to curl up in her bed and die.

"Well, come on then!We've only got enough time to get your things."Hermione dragged her up the stairs to get her things.Ten minutes later, they were leaving the common room, her broom swung over her shoulder.It was funny how the room was empty; she hadn't seen a Gryffindor in sight.

The march to the Quidditch Pitch was a long one.Several times, Ginny almost turned back, Hermione stubbornly dragging her down to the stands.

"Come off it, Ginny!You're just a bit nervous.It'll be alright!"Ginny prayed she was right.

Things were not alright.Ginny nearly passed out when they reached the pitch.The blood drained from her face as she stared at the stands.Normally, there would be only the members of the team and Madam Hooch presiding over the tryouts, but there, in the stands, was the entire Gryffindor House, murmuring and whispering and giggling.

"Nope.No way.We are turning right around, Hermione."Ginny jerked out of the other girl's grip and turned around, planning to head straight back to the school.

"Oi, Hermione! Ginny!"Ron had spotted them.Ginny quickly stuck her broomstick behind her back.

"Looks like quite a crowd, eh?" He asked them, pulling Hermione close."The person's gotta show up soon.Although, I think with you two here, it looks like we've got all the Gryffindor's here."

Ginny wanted to throw up.Harry was rushing up to them as well.A lock of pitch black hair stuck out on his forehead.His eyes were alight with anticipation."Hi, Ginny."

Ginny definitely wanted to throw up."Hi, Harry," she squeaked.They all started walking down to the center of the pitch, where the other team members were, Hermione casting looks at Ginny the entire time.

"Well?" Fred and George asked Madam Hooch."Where's this person at?"

Before Madam Hooch could answer, Ginny felt a hand shove her forward, making her stumble into the center of the circle that had formed.Everyone looked questioningly at her, including a pair of bright green eyes.

"It's me," she choked out. "I'm the new Chaser."


	3. The Chaser

Ginny felt every eye in the stands on her.Fred and George and Ron stared at her with different degrees of disbelief etched on their faces.It would've been almost comical, if not for the fact that Ginny was absolutely terrified of making a fool of herself.

Fred and George recovered first."Our little sister's finally developed a sense of humor," George joked, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye.

"I'm serious," Ginny frowned, anger welling up inside._Just like those miserable prats to think this is a joke!_

"Ginny," Ron finally spoke up, "You can't be Chaser.Quidditch is a very dangerous sport.Chasers are always constantly fouled or hit, you could get hurt."He explained this to hear as if she was a very small child.

Enough was enough."Ok, boys.That's fine." Ginny could just feel the anger steaming off of her.Damn them!"I'll just go sit down while the others who signed up tryout."Ginny held her hands over her eyes, shading them from the sun as she turned around, pretending to search for someone."Funny," she said very sarcastically, "I don't see anyone else here."She glared at her brothers, her eyes shooting flames.

Angelina Johnson came to stand right next to her."I think we should let her tryout," she told her teammates, placing an arm around Ginny's shoulders.

Alicia Spinnet went to Ginny's other side."Me too."

Fred and George's jaws dropped.They dropped even further when another deeper voice resounded his support.

"I agree."

The only thing that kept Ginny on her feet was the arm around her shoulder from Angelina.Harry was looking at her, a cocky grin on his face as he tilted his head to the side as if he was sizing her up.

"Are you nutters?" Ron asked his friend.

  
"Well, she _can_ fly," Harry defended, "We've played Quidditch often enough in the small glen by your house to see that.She's even made some pretty good scores."

"Harry," Ron placed a hand on his shoulder."Bewitching apples to fly around isn't the same as a real live bludger coming to hit you in the face.And you know we never could go too high above the trees, it's not the same!"

"I still say we give her a chance," Harry firmly repeated."Angelina and Alicia both agree so that would make this a tie, wouldn't it?Three to three."

Madame Hooch finally made her presence known."If the Gryffindor team does not get a new Chaser by the end of this day, I'm afraid you will be out of the running for the Quidditch Cup."

Ginny turned to her three pigheaded brothers."So, what's it gonna be, boys?"

Ron, Fred and George quickly huddled in a small circle, whispering frantically.Ginny rolled her eyes, deciding she was through with this. At least she didn't have to make a fool of herself in front of Harry.She started to walk off the pitch, throwing her broomstick down on the ground."Goodbye."

That snapped their red heads up."Wait!" Ron called."Ok, fine.We'll put you through the paces."

Ginny whirled around to face her family.All three of them scowled as if they had eaten a sea slug."We're only doing this under _extreme_ pressure, though," Fred added casting Madame Hooch a grimace.

"That was apparent," Ginny said under her breath.

"George, get the Quaffle. Angelina, Alicia, get up there with her," Fred turned to each of them, with the 'commander-of-the-ship' tone in his voice."Ron, go be Keeper."

Ginny tried to bite the inside of her jaw to keep herself from grinning too much.She marched back to the team.

"Hey, Ginny." She turned to one handedly catch the object Harry threw at her."You're gonna need this."She forgot she tossed her broomstick down in a fit of anger.

"Thanks, Harry." She smiled.He winked at her.

  
As Ginny waited for the others to get ready, she noticed that her broomstick felt different.It was making some sort of light humming noise._Great_, she thought._This is justwhat I need, this old damn Shooting Star to go out on me right as I get the chance to prove myself._She turned it over in her hands, inspecting it, looking for any sign that something was wrong with it.

It nearly slipped from her fingers.

On the handle, near the top was a series of numbers.Shooting Stars didn't have any numbers on them.Ginny's eyes slowly roamed down the handle, widening in amazement when they landed on the maker.Firebolt_._Harry had accidentally thrown her his Firebolt.She turned around to see him standing with the others, talking.It wasn't an accident.Her old broomstick was stillwhere it was, right on the grass.Harry barely let people _touch_ his Firebolt, let alone fly it.He was obsessive about it, polishing it nearly every day, keeping it tightly locked up in his room when he wasn't using it.And he had just _tossed_ it to her?She felt really, really, really sick.Now she also had to worry about making a complete and utter fool on herself, in front of Harry Potter, on _his_ Firebolt._What did I do to deserve this?_ she asked the white fluffy clouds in the sky.

"Ready, Gin?" Angelina and Alicia came up to her.

"As ready as I'm gonna ever be," Ginny muttered.

"Let's go."And they pushed off.

Her nervousness was forgotten as she rose in the air, the Firebolt practically reading her mind.This was incredible.She'd never felt anything like it, the Firebolt almost made this easy, all she had to do was catch and throw the Quaffle to the other Chasers. The Firebolt almost flew itself. The goal posts were just head, Angelina tossed the Quaffle to her from overhead, attempting the Porskoff Ploy.Ginny had excellent timing, the Quaffle was caught deftly.Ron was circling the goal posts, she was in the scoring area…Ron attempts to block…YES!Goal!Cheers erupted from the crowd below.Spinning around, Ginny noticed Ron's face was screwed up in either a look of pleased surprise that his little sister managed to get one past him, or intense displeasure that his little sister managed to get one past him.

"Way to move, Ginny." Both Alicia and Angelina rode up beside her.For the rest of the evening, Ginny, Angelina and Alicia worked on their timing, passing, and trying out new plays.They were really impressed at her sense of timing.After scoring the fourth goal, Ron declared enough.They all flew down to Fred, George and Harry, who had been watching them.Fred and George wore identical expressions of incredulity and admiration.Harry just looked pleasantly smug.

"Well?" she asked, the nervousness coming to settle in her stomach with a vengeance.

Fred and George looked at each other.They turned to her."Welcome to the team, little sister."Her ribs were almost crushed in the hugs that followed._These blockheads weren't so bad, at least not all the time_, she smiled to herself.She managed to toss Harry his Firebolt behind George's back.

  
"Thank you," she mouthed to him.

Harry grinned.


	4. The Seeker

A/N:I'm really excited at all the reviews.Thanks everyone! : )This is turning out be really fun to write, which is why I've been posting more chapters than usual (that and the fact that I'm _still_ avoiding my homework).So here's another chapter, and this is totally in Harry's POV which is really fun to write in. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry watched as the blur of red shot past the other two Chasers, heading straight for Ron.He dived, but the Quaffle was hurtling past him, right into the hoop.

"She's good," Harry told the twins, unable to wipe the satisfied grin off his face.Both of their eyes narrowed at him, but Harry ignored them."A great flyer."

"Anyone is a great flyer on a Firebolt, Harry."George frowned at him."And why were you suddenly so eager for her to get on the team?You didn't even blink when she strode over here.In fact," George continued in a strange tone, "I'd almost say that you weren't even surprised, which would've made no sense since no one _knew_ of her identity. Right?"His voiced ended on a high note.

Harry swallowed nervously, thinking fast, looking from one identical face to the other."Come off it you two, you'd have to be blind to miss how good she's gotten over the past few years.We've all played Quidditch at The Burrow for days on end each summer."Why just this past summer they had a staged a Weasley Quidditch Tournament with Harry being made an honorary Weasley (Fred and George both turned his hair red) so he could play.Bill and Ron were the Keepers, Harry and Charlie were the Seekers, and both Percy and Ginny were the Chasers.It was really quite close, but Harry's team of Ron, Fred and Percy won, since Charlie re-hurt an old injury he'd received from work.The Weasley Cup, it turned out was nothing more than an old chipped goblet that Ginny and Hermione had charmed to make it glow a bright red.

Harry quickly turned the conversation back to Ginny and away from himself."She's got excellent timing, you have to admit. And that's something you either have or you don't," he added firmly looking up again at the sky as he saw the red blur toss the Quaffle to Alicia and roll over in mid air as she came around to catch it from Angelina.

Fred sighed wearily."Mum's gonna have a fit at us all."He then chuckled, "Which is all the more reason.Ok, Harry you're right.Ginny is rather good, although I must say that she learned it all from her older brothers."Both Harry and Hermione snickered at that last bit.

Harry wondered if this would be a good opportunity to push his luck."You know, though, she can't do too much on that ancient Shooting Star.She's gotta have something decent to fly on.Don't you too have enough savings from the sales of the Wizard Wheezes to get her something better?"he asked the two.Fred and George had started a black market at Hogwarts of the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, which of course had taken the school by storm and caused more than one teacher great distress and discomfort, Snape in the lead.

The twins seemed to mull over this for a second."You're right again," Fred agreed, "We'll check Which Broomstick and see if we can owl order something a bit better."

Harry allowed himself to grin._As easy as taking candy from a baby_, he thought.

*******************

Harry's grin stayed plastered to his face as he watched Ginny get smothered by her brothers, each one of them giving her what must have been a bone crushing hug.She was really very pretty standing there, hair wind blown, cheeks flushed from her exercise, brown eyes alight with happiness.He'd noticed her last night, watching her with Hermione.She appeared to be nervous about something, she was constantly biting her lip, her eyes darting back and forth from Ron to Hermione.It was that moment that Harry realized that she might be the new Chaser.It would make perfect sense as to why the identity was kept secret, Ginny knew her hot tempered brothers would act this way.It was almost comical, once Harry thought about it, since he was actually going to suggest to the twins to let her tryout; Harry had seen her fly enough times to know she could be really good once she was trained up properly.

Harry couldn't explain why he suddenly wanted her on the team so badly.Only that he planned to do anything to get her on it, including manipulate her older brothers.Maybe it was the fact that he really wanted his team to win the House Cup, maybe it was that she was really beautiful when she flew, with her red hair flying out behind her, a banner waving to tease his senses.Or it simply could be that Harry could appreciate a good Quidditch player when he saw one, and Harry knew he was looking at one.Whatever the reason, Harry was glad she made it and never looked so forward to starting the Quidditch season as he did the upcoming one.Or practicing late in the evenings.Or having to walk back to the castle with her.

Harry mentally shook his head at the thoughts he was starting to have.Then he caught his stomach fluttering like he had swallowed a thousand Golden Snitches when she mouthed that "thank you" at him and threw him back the Firebolt.He caught it and smiled.

Later on, once the rest of the Gryffindor's had left the stands, each one promising on the sword of Godric Gryffindor not to let out the secret of the new Chaser, only the team and Hermione were left.Harry noticed how Hermione was wearing her 'I told you so' expression, beaming with pride each time she looked over at Ginny, who was chatting with Angelina and Alicia.

"This is going to be just great," Alicia gushed excitedly."I can almost feel the Cup in my hands as we speak."

Ginny laughed."I'm glad no one's pressuring me."

Harry couldn't help himself as he fell back to fall into step with them."You'll be fine, at least Fred and George aren't nearly as uptight as Oliver Wood was, right?"Alicia and Angelina nodded.

"Huh.You can say that since you aren't related to those two," Ginny grimaced gesturing towards her brothers."And Ron as well," she added."Thanks Harry, for loaning me your Firebolt," she said to him.

Harry felt his face redden.Alicia and Angelina both turned to him, eyes wide."You loaned Ginny your beloved Firebolt?!" Alicia asked stunned."You barely let dust touch it, let alone another person."

His face turned a deeper shade of red."I've let other people fly it before," he told her exasperated with the expression Alicia and Angelina both wore."Ron rode it when I first got it, didn't he?"

"Only because he wouldn't shut up about it," Angelina said, her eyes alight with humor."I don't think I've so much as _held_ it before.You must be sooooo lucky, Ginny."

  
Harry wondered how long it would take for them to find a replacement for Angelina if he killed her.Ginny was very quiet.Alicia and Angelina shot each other knowing looks and quickened their pace, catching up with the others ahead.

"You were really great, Ginny," Harry said, needing to find something to break the tension that had fallen between them."Really great."  
  
"I'm not going to be too great once I get on this old thing again," she said bitterly, glancing down at the broom in her hand.

"Don't worry about that.I think Fred and George are planning on something," he replied, hoping to cheer her up.He chuckled, winking at her as he said, "Besides, I might be persuaded to loan you my beloved Firebolt again."

She burst out laughing,"And that Harry Potter, is a great honor indeed to be held in such high esteem.You must tell me what I did to be the recipient of such unfounded generosity."

Harry thought that if Ginny would keep on laughing and smiling at him like that,he'd give her an entire fleet of Firebolts.


	5. With a Wink and a Smile

chaser5 A/N: Ok, so the voices in Ginny's head are taking over. God, I know I hear mine constantly. Anyway, I think I might use two   
different fonts so as to keep them straight. One is the good voice, the other is the bad voice. I'm sure you guys would've all   
figured that out, but there you are anyway. Let me know what you think of the voices in her head, Harry might have a couple of   
his own pop up later on. Oh, and thanks for the reviews! : )   
  
Oh, and to w&m_law: Thanks for turning such a simple statement as "riding his broomstick" into something very, very   
naughty. I haven't been able to quit laughing at that. ; )   
  
Not too much happens in this chapter, but there's a line in here that I have been absolutely dying to use in an HP fic, so I had to   
think of a way to include it.   
~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Ginny's day turned out quite differently than she had planned. Not that the day was bad, quite the contrary, but the events that   
occurred were most unexpected. It was almost too easy, getting on the team. She had expected opposition from all sides, and   
not just from her brothers. But Angelina and Alicia had both stood up for her, whether this was out of actual support for Ginny,   
or just to drive the twins mad, Ginny couldn't say. Both of them seemed rather pleased with Ginny, and were extremely nice to   
her.   
  
Fred, George, and Ron even seemed happy to have Ginny on the team, which was quite funny since they were the ones who   
were very vocal against the idea in the first place. In either case, practice was scheduled to begin on Monday and nearly   
everyday after that.   
  
But what kept Ginny up in her bed late that night were thoughts Harry and his reaction to her. He had her so confused, on so   
many different levels, she didn't even know where to start. Surely he would've been on the side with her brothers, but no…he   
spoke up for her! And then he offered her his Firebolt, then he practically walks her back to the castle!   
  
_Have I suddenly gone nuts?_ she thought to herself, staring up at the curtains above her bed. _Harry was walking with me,_   
_joking around with me. Hell, he winked at me! Harry doesn't wink at me! He's never done it before._   
  
**Why do you care?** asked another part of Ginny. **You are supposed to be over him remember? He likes that girl in**   
**Hufflepuff, I forget her name. The point is, you are not to care what the stupid git does!**   
  
_If I didn't care,_ the first half argued, _then why the hell did I try out for the bloody team in the first place? Huh? It was to_   
_see if Harry Potter would notice me in some way other than besides being that little freckle-faced sister of Ron's! I was_   
_rather good though, wasn't I? Even Ron said that he'd never seen anyone fly so fast. Oh, God. I flew on Harry's_   
_Firebolt and he winked at me and then he smiled at me and then he smiled at me again…_   
  
**Stop it this instant!** shouted the second half. **You are not to care what Harry says or does. I don't care if he smiles and**   
**winks until his teeth rot and his eye falls out! You are to be the best Chaser the whole of Hogwarts has ever seen and you are to get Harry out of your head this instant!**   
  
_I can think about Harry if I want! I've been doing it for the past five years, you should be used to it by now!_   
  
**Get this through your head. Harry Potter does not, will not, ever, in a million years, like you! You—**   
  
_Well, he liked me enough to let me on his Firebolt didn't he? I never heard you complaining—_   
  
Ginny let out an audible groan and rolled over, shoving her pillow into her face. "Oh, God!" she whispered. "I'm actually   
arguing with myself…and losing."   
  
There was tons of homework to be done, and Ginny had to get it all finished in advance so she wouldn't be so swamped on her   
first day of practice. The fun of Hogsmead had long since worn off, and so Ginny basically lounged around the common room   
and worked on her Transfiguration and her Muggle Studies lessons. The only thing that Ginny took notice of on Saturday was   
how disappointed Harry looked when she announced that she wouldn't be going in to Hogsmead_. What was that all about_   
_then?_ **Don't pay attention to it, he's probably just being nice since you're his new teammate.** _Or it could be my plan is actually working! _ **Don't be ridiculous!**   
  
Monday rolled around soon enough as Ginny found out. She managed to make it through Potions and Transfiguration without   
thinking about practice _or_ Harry, which seemed to please both halves of her mind.   
  
"You excited about this afternoon, Gin?" Ron asked her, he and Hermione both scooting in the seats across from her at lunch.   
  
"I guess so," she smiled.   
  
"Fred and George are getting everything set. We have the pitch booked for the entire afternoon, which totally pissed those   
Slytherins as they wanted to use it too, but Harry got a letter from McGonagall saying that we needed to try out our new team   
member." Ron said this rapidly as he shoved bits of jacket potato in his mouth. Ron's excitement was contagious, Ginny's   
other friends sitting next to her were all smiling as well. But that could also be because the silly chits had crushes on her   
brother.   
  
Another person plopped down in the empty seat on the other side of Ginny. **Don't you dare blush, Ginny Estelle Weasley. Do Not Dare!** _Funny isn't it? Harry has never sat next to me before. _ **Only because Ron and Hermione don't normally either. He's just sitting with his friends.**   
  
"Are you ready to play Quidditch, Ginny?" Harry asked her, his green eyes sparkling behind his glasses.   
  
Act normal and don't look in his eyes! "Sure, Harry. What about you?" Ginny spoke to directly to her fork, which was   
suspended in mid-air.   
  
"Can't wait. This is going to be so much fun. Ron and I spent all day yesterday working on new strategies and most of them   
are really pretty good if I say so myself. If—" Harry lowered his voice and leaned in close to Ginny, "Ron can keep his mind on   
his game and off his girlfriend long enough." He gave the two across from them an amused glance.   
  
_Please tell me he just didn't whisper in my ear._ ** Hmm, can't do that. And stop blushing! ** Ginny followed Harry's gaze to   
Ron and Hermione who where both blissfully unaware of the rest of the world and were talking quietly to each other.   
  
"What classes do you have this afternoon?" Harry turned back to her.   
  
"Double divination."   
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Harry moaned, patting her back in sympathy.   
  
_He's touching my back, He's touching my back. _ **Ok, so contact has just been made. Um, I don't know what to do in this situation. Be cool.** "It's ok," she said in what she hoped was a 'cool' tone. "Actually, I pretty much just end up going to   
sleep in the back of the class and she never notices me."   
  
"Really? Wow, I can't imagine that."   
  
"Yeah, I just told her once that the atmosphere in her class was conducive to dream-state visions and she ate it up like spun   
sugar," she giggled.   
  
"Brilliant! Wish I thought of that when I had the old bat." Harry laughed. His eyes lit up mischievously. "Watch this," he said,   
whispering in her ear again. _God, I love it when he does that. _** It is nice, isn't it?**   
  
"Hermione," Harry tried to get her attention. "Hey, Hermione!" Hermione was otherwise occupied. Ron was gently kissing   
her. "Hermione!"   
  
Hermione jumped and looked both very embarrassed and extremely annoyed at Harry. Ron looked plain murderous.   
  
"Sorry," Harry apologized, trying very hard not to grin. "I just noticed you had a bit of Ron on your face. But he's gone now."   
  
Three things happened simultaneously. Ginny burst out laughing, Ron jumped up ready to kill, and Harry grabbed Ginny and   
plopped her in his lap, holding her as a shield.   
  
"I'm going to kill you!" roared Ron.   
  
Harry and Ginny both were almost doubled over in hysterics. Harry somehow managed to realize that Ron was very much   
intent on doing some sort of physical harm to himself, and possibly his sister as well since Harry still hadn't let go of her. 

"Come on, Ginny, we're gonna get in trouble in a minute!" Harry gasped as he pulled her from the Great Hall.   
  
"I didn't do anything!" Ginny protested, still giggling.   
  
"Yeah, but you've gotta protect me." Harry said, dragging her outside into the corridor.   
  
_Who IS this guy?_ ** I have no idea. Just enjoy it. And try not to blush so much.**   
  
********************************   
  
Ginny made it through the rest of the day, somehow. As she literally sprinted down the ladder from Trelawney's class room to   
the Gryffindor Tower, she nearly got caught by Filch for running in the halls, but the old git was just too slow to go after her, not   
with the way she was running.   
  
"I've got your number, Missy!" Filch yelled after her.   
  
She dashed up the stairs, tossed her books on her bed, grabbed her old broomstick and was back in the common room in five   
seconds flat. Harry was there waiting for her, his Firebolt swung over his shoulder and a big smile on his face.   
  
"Great! Everyone's already gone down to set up." He beamed at her. "I told them I would meet you here and take you down   
there."   
  
**What? Did you somehow forget the way to the pitch? You've only been here for five years! What stunt is he trying to pull? ** _I don't care if he walks me to Idaho. He's smiling at me again._   
  
"Thanks," she smiled. They walked down to the pitch, arms almost touching.   
  
"Don't be angry at your brothers," Harry said as the team was coming into view over the hill. "They were just trying to look out   
for you."   
  
"I'm not mad at them. Well, not really. Those blockheaded gits are just going to have to learn that I can take care of myself   
and think for myself, surprising though that may seem."   
  
Harry chuckled. "Oh, I don't think they have any doubts about you not being able to take care of yourself. Not from what   
they've told me at least."   
  
Ginny nearly stumbled over. _ I'm going to _kill_ those bastards._ **I'll hand you the blunt spoon to do it with. ** "What have those mangy—" she took a deep breath, "what have they told you?"   
  
Harry sniggered, "Well, lets see. There was the time you got Ron's head caught in a sock, there was the time you turned the   
twins room upside-down, the time you conjured a rain cloud to constantly follow Percy—"   
  
"Ok, ok. I get the point. They didn't perchance tell you what they did to deserve such deeds, did they?" Ginny asked, hoping   
to high Heaven that they hadn't.   
  
"I guess it must have slipped their minds." Harry winked at her, waving to the team as they joined them on the pitch. _Oh God,_   
_he did it again!_ **Take deep breaths, deep breaths. Don't look at him for the rest of the day if you can. The boy is lethal.**   
  
Ginny's first Quidditch practice went really well, considering the state her mind was in. She even imagined to impress them all   
with a few suggestions to the game plan that she had thought about. Just as she was getting ready to hop on her broomstick,   
her brothers pulled her aside.   
  
"We, uh—wanted you to use something better than that old thing of Charlie's," Fred said as George and Ron huddled around   
her.   
  
"We're also really proud of you, Gin," Ron chimed in.   
  
"Yeah," George added, beaming as he handed her a long parcel. "And we're sorry for making such a fuss the other day."   
  
Ginny unwrapped the parcel, wondering if the whole world had suddenly, irrevocably gone utterly and completely insane. Her   
brothers never apologized for anything at all. If they did, they'd never have any time to make further mischief. A brand   
spanking new broomstick rolled out into her hands.   


**NIMBUS TWO THOUSAND AND ONE** was engraved into the handle. 

"It's not a nice as Harry's Firebolt, but Nimbuses aren't nothing to sneeze at," Fred said hesitantly. Ginny felt tears well up   
behind her eyes. They didn't even have new broomsticks, they were all on used Nimbus Two Thousands that they bought last year at Used Quidditch Supplies. She couldn't help the big fat tear drop that fell on the engraving.   
  
"There's nothing to cry about," Ron said irritably. Ginny looked up to see he was looking rather embarrassed and glassy eyed   
along with the twins.   
  
"Its beautiful," she said, wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her robes and giving each of the brutes a big hug.   
  
"Ok, family time's over. Let's get to it," Fred announced.   
  
The Nimbus was unbelievable, even better than the Firebolt, which was probably because it was hers. It was amazing how fast   
she could go; everyone around her were just blurs flitting around like flies. The three Chasers worked on their timing and   
strategy, which considering that this was their first practice, they were really tight, almost able to read each other's minds. It was   
nearly nightfall before they had finished, and they were all starved as they had completely skipped over dinner. Ginny was hot,   
tired, and sweaty, but had never felt so relaxed, despite the feeling that she was the only sane person on the planet.   
  
"Good one, eh, Ginny?" Harry asked as he caught up with her, leaving Fred, George, and Ron behind.   
  
"We'll just stay here then and clean up," called Ron angrily. Apparently he hadn't gotten over Harry's bit of a joke during   
lunch.   
  
"Ok, thanks mate!" Harry shot back.   
  
"It's a nice broom, isn't it?" Harry asked, pointing to her Nimbus 2001 which was held carefully in her hands like a baby.   
  
"Be nice to me and I might let you ride on it," Ginny said, winking at him. _ Whoa, did I just wink?_ I** believe you did. Didn't**   
**think you had it in you.** _ I didn't either._   
  
_Is he actually blushing? No, that can't be right, can it?_ **I think he is blushing! Oh. My. God. Congratulations, Ginny Weasley. You are now officially the only sane person in this entire universe.**   
  



	6. Just like James Bond

chaser6 A/N: This would be from Harry's POV. And the voices in his head… Same rules apply: two separate fonts for each voice. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

One night, Harry was laying in his bed, listening to the snores of the others in the room as he stared up at the curtains thinking   
about the conundrum known as Ginny Weasley. 

**Three weeks ago, you barely knew she existed other than as the sister of Ron. What the hell happened? ** I_ don't know, wish I did. She's driving me nuts!_

**How observant of you! I would have never guessed, especially since you practically follow her around like some love-sick puppy!** _I know! But, oh, she just does these crazy things to me…like when she winked at me at the first practice…_

**Stop thinking about that! That was two weeks ago! It was one bloody wink! It was just a wink! You've winked at her before and I bet she didn't get all misty eyed and weak kneed over it—she doesn't even notice you other than the fact that you're the Seeker on the team and her brother's best mate.** _She used to! She used to constantly blush around me, Ron said it was because she had a crush on me._

**And she's obviously gotten over it, quite admirably. Wise of her to do so as well, since you hardly gave her the time of day before all this nonsense started! ** _But I'm going to fix that, I told you. I've already made some progress haven't I?_

**You can't possibly mean that scene in the Great Hall where you practically pulled her on your lap, can you? Oh, yes, brilliant job, that was. All you got were a few laughs, and then Ron and Hermione both wanting your skin flayed from your body. Great job, Casanova. ** _It wasn't as bad as all that. I certainly enjoyed having her in my lap, and if you weren't so bloody furious over the whole situation, you'd admit that as well._

**Very well. I'll admit it. She did feel good. And when she laughs, her beautiful eyes just glow….oh bloody hell, you've got me doing it!** _See? She's perfect for us, we've just gotta convince her of it._

**And how can we do that with you mucking it up every five minutes, eh? Women like men who play hard to get and all that rot. You're supposed to keep them on their toes, see? Not wear your heart on your sleeve like some badge, dogging at the heels all around the place. Quit following her and make her chase you for a change! **_I don't 'dog her heels' as you so quaintly put it. I merely walk her to and from Quidditch practice—_

**And to classes when you can, and to the common room before breakfast and after dinner, and to Hogsmead on**   
**weekends—you'd aren't fooling anyone! **_Well, she certainly doesn't complain. She seems to enjoy my company, doesn't_   
_she?_

**What's she going to tell you? 'Go away Harry Potter and quit following me around'? She's too sweet to ever do**   
**something like that. ** _She is sweet, but she could just as easily give me the cold shoulder or something…I'd take the hint and leave her alone._

**You lie!** _Oh, alright. So maybe I wouldn't. But she does smile at me a lot. I don't see her doing that with other guys._

**She smiles at everyone you prat! Ginny happens to be one of the few people who just seem to always smile at something. It's one of the things I like best about her! But this has got to stop!** _Mmm. She does have a beautiful smile, that just lights up her eyes and makes those gold flecks she has in the center of them sparkle._

**And furthermore, she's completely throwing you off your game! What was that stunt all about earlier today with the**   
**Snitch flying up your nose almost and you just staring down at her? Please explain how that happened, I'd love to hear it. **_It didn't fly up my nose, I caught it didn't I? I was just watching her fly for a moment and got distracted a bit. She's such an amazing flyer with her hair blowing behind her and…and…_

**And…you were imagining what it would feel like to have that hair spread out over your pillow! Don't pretend it isn't so, I heard you! ** _Well, what if I was? It's perfectly normal thing to imagine, isn't it?_

**Why don't you go back to chasing after that Hufflepuff sixth year? What was her name again? Michelle…** _It was_   
_Rachelle…something or other. And she's with someone else now, a Prefect from Ravenclaw, I think._

**Ginny'll be gone too with the way you keep floundering about—if she hasn't slipped through your fingers already, that is! **_I'm not going to let her 'slip through my fingers' am I? I've got this planned out too well!_

**Oh, right. So far she's sat on your lap and winked at you. Great planning, Romeo. No wonder you suck at chess.** _Maybe you're right. Maybe she just isn't interested in me. Who can blame her, right? I mean, I may be the great, good Harry Potter and all that, but so far my score has been zero when it comes to women and love. Even Parvati Patil hasn't given me a second glance after that disastrous Yule Ball and she's made out with every boy in Gryffindor. Including the Creevy brothers._

**Well, there's no sense in being hard on yourself. Just play it cool for a while. Act aloof. Like that Muggle James Bond that Uncle Vernon idolizes and such. Be debonair and confidant. Girls go for that stuff.** _What's made you the world's authority on women?_

**Nothing really. Just learning from your mistakes, you stupid git.** _Hmmf. I don't think I'm going to be speaking to you anymore if all you're going to do is be nasty._

Harry rolled over and smashed his fist into his pillow, causing feathers to burst out the seams and up into the air. Ron gave a   
huge snort at the sound and then continued his regular breathing. "I am not talking to myself," he groaned aloud. Dean's loud   
snore answered him. It was a long night. 

************************ 

"Good morning, Ron, Harry," Hermione greeted him as he came down the stairs with Ron. He was so tired, having not slept a   
wink last night. Harry watched Hermione give Ron a kiss. 

_Wish Ginny'd give me a morning kiss_. **This isn't acting aloof.** Harry mumbled a "'morning" as he tried to stifle a yawn. 

"Ginny should be down in a few minutes," Hermione told Harry pointedly. 

"Whatever," he said stretching, trying to sound aloof. **Good boy. Why should you care if she comes down or not? You**   
**don't care if she doesn't come down until New Year's.**

"Morning all," Ginny said sleepily, coming up behind Harry. **Don't turn around, don't turn around. ** _God, she smells so_   
_good._ **Stop breathing then.**

"I'm starving," she continued, yawning as she came around Harry. _Oh, no. She isn't wearing her hair up in that clip-thingy,_   
_please tell me she isn't. _ **Minor setback, that's all. It's not your fault she wears her hair like that sometimes. Or looks so damn sweet in the morning that it makes you want to…** _You're not helping!_ **Oh, sorry. It's really unfair though, how she couldn't have a couple of missing teeth or something to that effect. Anything to not make her look so damn beautiful all the time.** _Yes, yes, I know. She's perfect, a Goddess among mere mortals. This isn't helping at all!_

The small group descended the stairs, Ginny and Hermione talking about homework and the days classes while Ron   
occasionally uttered a word or two in between. He wasn't a morning person himself. Harry, meanwhile, kept up the aloof act.   
It must have been working because Ginny noticed how unusually quiet he was, and commented on it. 

"What's wrong Harry?" she asked, concern filling her brown eyes. 

_I love you_. **YOU DID NOT JUST THINK THAT!** _no, no, I didn't._ "Uh…I'm just really sleepy. Didn't get much sleep   
last night." **Oh, God, stop the blushing. You're ruining everything!**

She placed a hand on his cheek, "You look like you have a fever, you're face is flushed." _She's touching me. What d'you_   
_think of that, eh? Aloof my ass! _** Hmmf.** "Are you sure you're not sick?" 

Harry stared at her blankly. **She just asked me something, didn't she? What was it?** _I'm not too sure. God, her hands_   
_cannot feel that soft. _ "Um, no?" **Good save, that was. ** _Yeah._

She bit her lip. "Well, if you're sure," she frowned and led him into breakfast. _ I love it when she bites her lips like that._ **Ok,**   
**so change of plans. She's too dangerous. We completely avoid her for the rest of the day and hope that tomorrow she comes down with a bag over her head or something. ** _Wouldn't work. I'd just end up staring at her-- _ **Don't you dare say it! Behave yourself this instant!**

**************************   
Harry had managed to avoid her for the rest of the day, saying he was either too busy or going to take a quick nap when he'd   
run into her. He'd even got out of dinner by complaining that he had just way too much work to do and he'd nip something   
from the kitchens later on if he felt like it. 

_This is just too hard. I can't do this anymore. Did you see the look on her face when I told her I was too busy to eat?_   
_She looked almost crushed._ **Yes, I saw. You'll be fine, the day's almost over and you've got this Potions essay to**   
**complete. Everything will be better tomorrow.**

"Harry?" Harry heard his name being called through the fog in his head. "Harry, are you ok?" Harry rose up from where his   
head had fallen over on his parchment. He must have gone to sleep. 

**Oh, that's just bloody peachy! You've got parchment stuck to your face, you ass. ** _God, please let me die. Right now._

"I brought you something to eat, I knew you must be hungry." 

"Hmm? Oh, thanks, Ginny," he said as she placed a sandwich and a goblet of pumpkin juice in front of him. He quickly bit into   
the cucumber sandwich, as he watched her out of the corner of his eye. She looked like she wanted to laugh, but couldn't for   
some reason. "What is it?" he asked. 

_She bit her lip._ **Don't do that again, please.** "You, uh….have a bit of ink on your face. The parchment must not have   
completely dried." _ I want to die! Right now. _** This instant.**

He furiously wiped at the spot on his cheek, wanting desperately for the good Lord to take pity on his soul and put him out of   
this misery. Maybe the shadows would hide how violently red he was. 

"Here, let me." Ginny took the unused napkin and gently wiped away the remnants of ink, leaning in closer so she could reach   
him. 

_Did I tell you I love the way she smells?_ **Yes, you mentioned that already. Oh, please tell me she is not running her**   
**fingers through my hair! Please tell me that. ** _I am not capable of any coherent thought right now. Try back later._

The moan he almost let out got trapped in his throat when her fingers ran through his hair, gently combing the black locks down   
to stick up in their normal position. "There," she smiled, blushing slightly as he gazed at her. "You were starting to look like   
Hagrid there for a second." **Look at that, will you! She's blushing!**

Her brow furrowed as she frowned again, watching him intently. "Harry, you've been so distant…aloof today. What's   
bothering you?" 

**Ah HA! Did you hear that? I was ALOOF! ALOOF! It worked! It bloody well worked! Take that Ginny Weasley!**   
**Score one for us! ** _What do we do, what do we do? It worked, but what do we do now?_

**Uh, well, I…uh…I don't know, really. ** _What do you mean, 'you don't know'? This was your idea! This was your plan._   
_Act aloof. Well, we're aloof! What's next?___

**Well, I didn't actually think this would work, you see. Never got to map out the second part. **_ If we get out of this alive, I'm going to kill you. At least answer her, damn it!_

"Nothing. I've just been tired. I really didn't sleep at all last night," he swallowed. 

"Are you that worried that I'm going to lose the Cup for you, eh?" she teased, a mischievous twinkle appearing in her eyes. 

"Of course not! No one's got a chance against us! Especially since we're up against Slytherin, and they don't have a prayer   
with Malfoy as Seeker and Flint gone." 

"Don't remind me. I've had to listen to jibes coming from the Slytherins all day today. Malfoy achieved new levels of   
nastiness." 

"I'll kill him," Harry said venomously. "He's dead already." _If he so much as breathes on her wrong, he'll be burping up_   
_slugs for a century._ **I'll go get the wand.**

She smiled softly. "Thanks, but I'll be fine. I've got enough big brother to look out for me, don't need you to jump in as well."   
She rose, her hand placed on his shoulder. "I need to get some sleep as well and let you get back to work. I think I'll go take   
a long, hot bath. 'Night, Harry." 

"Good night, Ginny." Harry plopped his head back down onto the table with a resounding thud. _I really didn't need to_   
_picture her in a bath right now, I really didn't._ **Yes, well. Looks like we'll not sleep much tonight either. Why don't we plan our strategy for tomorrow? Since my idea was so ruddy brilliant!**

_Oh, shut up you twit._   
  



	7. Dirty Harry

A/N: Did I mention how fun this is to write

A/N: Did I mention how fun this is to write? _ Of course you did. Twice in fact. Now get on with the bloody story! _ **Hush**

**up, we're not supposed to be in the author's notes! ** For those who asked, Harry and Ginny will, of course, get together in

the end. _Damned straight!_ But Harry's gotta suffer a bit more…things always seem to come too easy for him! **HA! That's a**

**jolly good one!**

Notice I changed the rating to PG-13. Notice the title of the chapter. ; )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So, the Slytherin Chasers are pretty easy to deal with, Ron can handle them with no problem," Fred was telling his two

brothers and Harry one evening in the common room. The first game of the season was up in exactly one week. Tensions

among the two houses were at an all time high.

"Right, and Malfoy does nothing but trail Harry instead of looking for the Snitch himself," Ron agreed, as they used Bertie

Bott's Every Flavor Beans to represent the game plan on the table.

"It looks like me and Fred are going to have the busiest job then, since it's pretty much a known fact the other Beaters will be

making a beeline for Ginny. That's our biggest problem. We'll almost have to dog her constantly," George groaned at the

thought of his little sister getting hit by a bludger.

Harry, however was only barely paying attention to the others, sending furtive glances at a set of chairs across the room. As it

had been for nearly a month, Harry's thoughts would rather concentrate on a certain red head than anything else, including

Quidditch, which was absolutely unheard of. Ginny was sitting with some of her other friends, laughing and pretty much ignoring

the fact that she had the rapt attention of a pair of pure green eyes.

**That's right, old boy. Just pretend it didn't happen. She certainly seems to be doing a good job of it. ** P_retend it didn't happen?! How in hell am I to do that when I can still feel her in my arms? And when these blockheads hear about what happened, they'll string me up by my—_

**Stop it! You know perfectly well that no one was in the stairwell! Which, may I add, is why you are still alive and not strung up by your—**

_Stupid bloody useless staircase! Why hasn't anyone ever fixed it! Why do we need a trick step anyway? It causes_

_ nothing but trouble, Neville gets caught in it once a day! This totally was not in our plans!_

**Calm down, then. ** C_alm down! Calm down! I practically felt Ginny up in the middle of the stairs and you tell me to_

_calm down! _**It was an accident, you know that. ** _ I know it was an accident, but that doesn't mean she does. Hell, she's_

_probably over there telling her friends that dirty ol' Harry Potter—_

**She's doing nothing of the sort! She wouldn't do that anyway. Besides, she's apparently gotten over it, she hasn't looked over here all evening. **_Obviously because she's most likely scared I might finish where I left off! _

**Nonsense. You didn't even kiss her. **_I almost did! I was so close, my lips were almost touching hers. Oh why can't she have chronic bad breath!_

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair and feigned an interest in what the twins and Ron were talking about.

**It wouldn't have stopped you if she did. The only thing that worked was Peeves clanging about in the hallway. Thank God, he didn't see you or this would be around the school in two seconds.**

_This was all her fault, you know! Nothing would have happened at all if she hadn't called out to me and made me fall_

_into the trick step._

**Don't you dare blame the fact that you can't concentrate on something as simple as walking up the bloody stairs on her!** _Well, if she just didn't have me tied up in knots all the time, I would've been able to avoid the bloody step in the first place! What the hell happened anyway?_

**If I remember correctly, you fell into the trick step, stumbled, she runs to help you, and you grabbed her and pulled her down on top of you!**

_It was instinct. Didn't really mean to do it._ **Be that as it may, you should have immediately realized where your hands were resting and removed them! ** _ But she felt so good laying on top of me like that. Like she was made to be there. And she didn't seem to mind where they were, I bet she didn't even notice them._

**I'm sure she didn't, especially when that small gasp said that she noticed something else— ** Y_ou promised not to mention that ever again! Besides, that was a natural reaction to what was happening!_

**Oh yeah! It was a reaction alright! Which is why you practically threw her off you, wasn't it? Look, at least one of us has got to attempt to keep the old John Henry down there in control around her.** I_mpossible. He has a mind of his own around her. Won't listen to anything we say._

Harry once again shifted on the chair and stole a glance over to where Ginny was. Green eyes met brown ones and furiously

turned away.

_Oh, no. She was looking right at me! _ **She could've just been looking at her brothers. There're over here as well, you**

**know and probably wondering what the devil's gotten into you since you haven't spoken a word to them in about five minutes!**

_And wouldn't they be just pleased to know the cause…they'd string me up by my—_

**Yes, they would.**

****************** 

Ginny's mind was occupied by the same subject as Harry's. Well, almost.

**Stop thinking about it, already! He seems to have done so.** _I can't! Dear God, how in the world can I stop thinking_

_about the fact that Harry Potter almost kissed me! Why did he do it? Why did he stop?_

**To answer the first question, your mother already had that talk with you. As for the second, maybe he came to his senses and realized that the stairwell in the middle of the entire school was not the place for—**

_Mum's talk didn't tell me anything! That conversation that I overheard in the twins' room one Christmas between_

_them and Bill and Charlie told me more than Mum ever did. _ **Point taken.**

"Hey, Ginny!" Ginny's attention snapped back to the conversation her two friends, Patricia and Amy were having. **Trust these two chits to get your mind off of Harry.**

"You are going to invite us over for Christmas, aren't you?" Patricia asked very hopefully.

"Christmas? Why?" Ginny asked curiously, wondering what she could be up to.

"Well," said Amy, "Your entire family's going to be there, aren't they? All of your brothers?"

_Don't they ever think of anything else?_ "Yes, but—" Ginny started.

"Well…only Ron has a girlfriend right?" Patricia was practically dancing on the table.

"No, Percy's got Penny Clearwater."

"PERCY! Oh, no!" Amy moaned, throwing her quill down on top of her homework angrily.

"What's gotten into you?" Ginny demanded.

"Percy, is just so….God, he makes me itch to get under that control of his!" Amy clenched her fingers.

"Yeah, but Bill is so sexy with that earring and that hair!" Patricia told Amy.

"And Ron's just so….well…RON!" Amy fell back into her chair in despair.

"Eugh! They're my brothers!" Ginny was horrified. **They're disgusting! **_I'm going to be sick._

"Oh, Ginny, please." As Amy and Patricia argued over the attributes of each Weasley male, Ginny let her attention roam

around the room, stopping on Harry, who was also looking directly at her.

_Oh, God, he's looking over here_. **Calm down. He most likely is just interested in what these two silly girls are giggling over.**

_Ok, so he turned away._ **Please don't start blushing again. I thought we were going to work on that. ** _Think he's just trying to pretend it didn't happen?_ **Well, according to that book Hermione gave you, men do tend to do stuff like that when they are confused about women. Like the way he was acting the other week or two ago with the whole distant aloof thing. Trust Hermione to have a book all about making someone fall in love.**

_Yeah, she said it came in real handy with Ron. Silly prat would still be floundering around helplessly if she hadn't_

_stepped in. Think this will work on Harry? _ **Well, so far it's been successful. He was following you around like some**

**love sick puppy, wasn't he? ** _I guess so. I just thought that was more of him having to follow me around because George and Fred put him up to it. The Slytherins trying to sabotage the new Chaser and such._

**Don't think so. He doesn't strike me as that big brother type. **_What do you think about what happened today, then? His hands were almost on my—_

**His hands were resting on your lower back. He grabbed you when he started to fall. They were on your lower back. **_Hmmf. I think they were a bit lower. Either way, he almost kissed me! That's gotta be some progress._

**But then he threw you off of him.** ** What was that about?** _I have no idea. _ **Who can comprehend the mind of a man who wouldn't know love if it bit him on the—**

**Behave yourself. You're developing a mouth as bad as Ron's.**

"Oi! Ginny! Come here!" **Well this is just perfect. We'll get to see how Harry's going to react to this up close.**

Ginny got up to see what her brothers wanted with her. "What is it?" **Don't blush whatever you do. Just stay focused on the twins or Ron or anyone but Harry.**

_Hi, Harry! Remember how you almost kissed me earlier today on the stairs? Wanna go back and finish it? _**Stop that! **_Is that a wand in your pocket are you just happy to see me?_ **Dear God, I don't believe you just thought that. ** I_ was just trying to break the ice._

"We've got a new game plan for the match. Gotta have an extra-long practice tomorrow evening." Fred gestured to the rough

diagram of Bertie Bott's Beans that they obviously were using as a mock-up of the teams and positions.

"Sure," she replied. ** It's absolutely amazing how both yours and Harry's faces are the same exact shade of red, isn't it? **"That all? I was just going to bed." _He's driving me crazy! Gotta get out of here now. _ Ginny wished them all a good night, and walked away.

***********************

**I bet her face was the same exact shade as yours.** _Did you see that look she gave me? What the hell did that mean?_

**I'd almost say she wanted you to kiss her.** _You're nuts!_

"Hey, Harry!" Ron snapped his fingers impatiently under Harry's nose.

"Uh, sorry. What is it?" Harry blinked.

Ron gave him a piercing look. "Just wondering what was up between you and Ginny that's all." Both Fred and George

stopped and looked up at those words. "Couldn't help but notice you two looking at each other. And the fact that she told us

she was going to bed but left through the portrait hole."

_Shit. This is just wonderful._ "Nothing. Nothing's between us." **Except the fact that I'm totally head-over-heels in love with her.** "We're just friends," Harry swallowed nervously.

"Huh. That's not what Hermione told me," Ron said, still not convinced. "She said she thought you fancied her a bit."

_How bad would Ron miss Hermione after I kill her?_ "Well, she's your sister, isn't she?" Harry gave Ron his best

do-you-think-I'm-nuts-to-like-your-sister grin.

"I know who she is." Ron shot back with his best don't-think-I-don't-know-what-you're-up-to scowl. "Answer my

question." Both George and Fred were now really listening to the conversation.

**Ok, so you have two options. Tell them the truth and pray Ginny brings flowers to your grave or deny everything and just possibly hope to be invited to her wedding when she marries someone else.**

"Well, she is a good Quidditch player. And she certainly had grown up a bit these past few years."

"She's too young for you, Harry," George said menacingly. **Well, I had a nice life. ** _I sure do wished I had kissed her just_

_once before I die._

"She's a year younger than me, George." Harry was really starting to get angry. "She's a big girl. She can take care of

herself."

"She's a baby." Ron said firmly. "Besides," he grinned, "Mum and Dad wouldn't let her date you."

"Your parents like me well enough. They might change their minds." Harry returned the grin. **Bail out while you still have**

**the chance! Go! ** "I'm going to bed." Harry almost ran up the stairs before Ron or the twins could stop him.

**The next time you get within twenty feet of Ginny, alone or not, you better kiss her senseless before her hot-headed**

**brothers kill you.** _ Good idea. This was a productive day though, wasn't it? I faced her brothers and got away with it_

_and I almost kissed her._

**Yes, well…let's not get to confidant. We still have to figure out what she thinks about you.**


	8. Senseless

chaser8 _Wonder why Mr and Mrs Weasley couldn't have just skipped over those three and gotten straight to Ginny._ **Because, if they had, you would have missed out on the best friend you ever had.**

_Hmmmf. I bet Ginny could make me forget about that. If those dunderheads she's related to would let her get within_   
_twenty feet of me._ **They won't. Must have heard us say we'd kiss her senseless if she did get that close.**

Harry was not in a good mood. Over the next two days since he'd confronted her brothers, the three of them hadn't let Ginny   
so much get within throwing distance of Harry. The minute she even looked like she might just be going to sit next to Harry, or   
talk to Harry, or look sideways at Harry, one of them would immediately recall something they just had to tell her, or show her,   
anything to get Little Red Riding Hood from the Big Bad Wolf. 

The final nail in the coffin, however, was that each time, Ginny looked about ready to commit murder. This was either because   
she actually wanted to spend time with Harry (which Harry fervently prayed this was so) or because she realized what her   
brothers were up to and wanted to tweak their noses a bit (which could be very likely since the main characteristic of a   
Weasley, besides the hair and freckles, is the instinct to annoy their siblings). 

That instinct must have been running rampant in Ginny tonight. Harry was sitting on the sofa, brooding about Ginny and her   
hardheaded brothers, when she came in through the portrait hole. She stopped for a second, brown eyes scanning the room for   
her brothers. Only Ron was in the room, and Hermione had him well occupied. Fred and George were both serving detention   
for Snape. Harry secretly hoped they rotted down there in the dungeon, but immediately took the thought back since they   
would be out of the running for the House Quidditch Cup. 

Harry watched her as she spotted Ron at the table across the room, a devious glint appearing in her eyes as she smiled slyly and   
bit her lip. 

Harry swallowed as when he noticed her biting her lip, then swallowed again, this time a bit apprehensive at that mischievous   
look she was wearing, knowing that something was definitely going to happen. _I love it when she bites her lip like that. _**Pay**   
**attention, she's coming over here.**

It was true, Ginny was making a beeline for the sofa and Harry, that smile still firmly in place on her lips. 

"Hi, Harry." She sat down right next to him, hardly an inch separating them. 

_Oh, God! I'm going to die!_ "Hi, Ginny. What are you up to?" **Shouldn't we be kissing her senseless by now? **_Shh, this_   
_might be more fun. _ **What could be more fun that kissing her senseless? ** _I could name a few more things, but Ron would definitely kill me and Ginny might be a bit shocked. Besides, I have a good feeling about this. She's up to something._

Ginny turned her head over to the direction of her brother. "What do you want to bet, Ron suddenly remembers to tell me   
something in the next three minutes?" She grinned. 

Harry grinned back. "More like two minutes if you ask me." 

"Where are the twins?" she asked, turning back to him. 

"In detention with Snape." ** I'm amazed how long we've been able to hold this conversation**. Me too. 

"Good," she smiled devilishly, "I hope they rot down there." _I love you._

She looked at Harry, cocking her head to the side. "We're good friends right?" 

"Yes," Harry replied. **As long as your brothers have anything to say about it.**

"Good," Ginny said, "Just play along with me." Then she did something that made the air whoosh out of Harry's lungs and send   
shivers down his spine. She plopped herself right onto his lap and threw her arms around his neck. 

"Are you ok? You just turned really pale," she whispered in his ear craning her head back to view her brother around Harry. 

"I'm fine," Harry heard himself squeak. _I'm going to die! I'm going to die! _ **When Ron sees this, that is a definite**   
**possibility.**

"You really have to admire Hermione. She could be an excellent underwater swimmer. They haven't come up for air since I've   
got here," she giggled. 

_Oh. My. God. She's not doing this is she? I'm dreaming. _ **You are wide awake and Ginny is wriggling in your lap**   
**whispering in your ear. And quit smelling her hair! **_It's a bit hard not too when it's practically wrapped around my_   
_face, isn't it? It's like spun silk, it is. _**Just stop looking like you are enjoying this.** _I am enjoying this!_ **Watch those hands of yours, we don't want a repeat of the other day. **_They are just resting on her back. The _middle _of her back._ **Just make sure they stay there.**

"Oh! We've been spotted!" Ginny said excitedly, her lips very close to his ear. "I won, its been nearly three minutes." 

"I'm going to die," Harry moaned almost silently. 

"Nonsense. Ron's practically useless in a fight. It's George who you have to watch for. Has the nastiest right hook you've   
ever seen." 

"I'll keep that in mind." 

"Ginny?" Ron almost squeaked. "What are you doing?" Ron was standing right over them, face extremely red, fists clenched   
at his sides. Hermione was next to him, most likely preparing to keep the damage to a minimum. She was trying very hard not   
to smile. 

"Oh, hello big brother." Ginny said, acting like she just noticed him. "I'm talking to my good friend Harry," she announced,   
acting like this wasn't the most obvious thing in the world. "How are you doing Harry?" she turned to him, eyes dancing with   
humor. 

"I'm fine," Harry beamed. _Never been better._ **I love you.**

Ron looked apoplectic. His eyes were bulging, making him look like he was going to spontaneously combust any moment.   
"Ginny," he said very slowly, enunciating every syllable, "Why don't you get up, now? I really need to talk to you." 

"Actually, Ron, I'm really very comfortable right where I'm at, thank you very much," Ginny told him. "Aren't you comfortable,   
Harry?" 

"Very comfortable," Harry repeated wanting to howl with laughter at the look on Ron's face. **You think you could say more**   
**than just two words at a time?** _We're lucky I'm just able to speak coherently. Period._

"Ginny." It was amazing how Ron could speak from clenched teeth and still be heard. "Get off of Harry. I need to talk to him." 

Ginny's arms wrapped tighter around Harry's neck. "I don't think I will. You don't want me to leave do you, Harry?" She   
should win an Oscar for her look of complete innocence. 

"No." _Not even if my life depended on it._ **I'm sure Ron will get to that.**

"Look Ron, why don't you and Hermione go back over there and finish….talking," Ginny said diplomatically. "I haven't seen   
Harry in two days, and I really want to talk to him," she explained patiently. 

"You two have talked enough for this evening," Ron snapped. 

"I don't think we have. You three dunderheads made sure of that." Ginny's eyes had narrowed with each word she took.   
They were now slits of spitting garnet fire. It was a wonder that Ron was still standing. 

_This is starting to turn ugly._ **Nonsense, just as long as Ginny doesn't move, this will be fine. What have you to complain about anyway? There's a redheaded hot-blooded girl in your lap.** _I wasn't complaining, not at all. No, indeed! Just stating a fact._

Whatever Ron was going to say was cut off when Fred and George walked in the room. **This is getting better all the time.**   
_Can't get no worse._

"What's going on here?" Fred asked, eyes roving over Ginny and Harry. Harry discretely moved a bit to get away from   
George's right. 

"Harry and I are just talking, as I've already explained to this idiot," she nodded at Ron. "You two don't have a problem with   
that do you?" Ginny's narrowed eyes were now aimed at both George and Fred, who swallowed nervously. 

In the time spent with the Weasley Family, Harry had observed on more than one occasion that they all had tempers. He had   
often heard, however, that Ginny's was the worse. Harry had never seen any proof of this and had just chalked it up to her   
brother's teasing. But as Harry watched the three Weasleys suddenly fidget nervously as they watched their sister, he thought   
that perchance it might just be true, since only something dreadful would make three fully grown men appear to be afraid of a   
girl a third of their size. 

"But, Ginny," George said. "You're sitting on his lap." 

"I like it here." 

"I like it here too," Harry heard himself say, winking at Ginny. **What are we, suicidal now? **_Probably, but this is really_   
_really fun._ **It is, isn't it?**

Ginny gazed at him for a second, almost in wonder. She shook her head as if to clear it. "Yes, well. You see? Since Harry and   
I are both very comfortable, there's no reason I see that we should move." 

"Ginny—" George began. 

"George," she interrupted, her voice lowering, "I'm starting to get very angry." 

All three Weasley's flinched. "I….I don't care," George stuttered, but it was evident he did care. Fred and Ron gawked at   
him in amazement, Ginny herself seemed surprised at his outburst. 

"Very angry," she repeated menacingly. 

"Look, Gin," Fred started to explain reasonably, "You just can't go sitting in boys' laps. Especially his lap." 

"What's wrong with his lap? It's very comfortable," she shifted as if to prove her point. Harry instantly paled, and scooted her   
back a bit away where she wasn't too much against him. **She's going to kill me before her brothers will the chance.**

Harry wanted to roar with laughter at the shocked look on her brothers' faces, but thought better of it. He settled for a snicker,   
which he tried to hide by burying his face in her sweetly scented hair. Hermione, seeing this, couldn't contain her laughter, and   
had to hold onto Ron, she was laughing so hard. 

"This isn't funny!" Ron hissed. "You've all gone nutters!" 

It was a good thing that they were the only ones left in the common room, Ginny's temper was on a short leash. 

"Listen up all of you!" Ginny shouted, to make herself be heard over Hermione's laughter. "Harry and I are just friends, ok?   
You all have been acting crazy these past few days and I not putting up with it any longer!" Harry's face fell at her words. 

_I knew this was too good to be true! She was just trying to annoy those buggers and get them off her back._ **You don't**   
**know that for sure. ** _Where were you when she just said we were friends? _**I was right here, thank you. This isn't over**   
**though.**

Fred, George and Ron frowned down at her. "So…?" 

"Go to bed! All of you!!" Ginny roared. This was a Weasley temper at its best. Or worst, depending on your point of view.   
She was radiating heat, her face bright red, her eyes were wild and sparking. ** I don't think I've ever seen her look more**   
**beautiful.**

The three men jumped as if they had been burned. They each gave Harry and Ginny appraising looks, but they must have   
decided not to test her temper anymore, since they just frowned and left, at least the twins did, both looking over their shoulder   
as they ascended the stairs. Ron, however, stayed put. "Don't think this is over," he said, pointing a finger at them. 

"Come on Ron," Hermione said, pulling him away. Ginny stared them down, making sure they were indeed leaving. Harry was   
frozen, amazed that such a voice could come out of such a small package. 

"Well, now," she said brightly, her expression instantly turning back to that of the adorable, mischievous imp. "That went rather   
well, didn't it? Stupid idiot brothers! Why couldn't I have been an only child?" 

"Uh, Ginny…." was all Harry could think of saying. 

"My goodness, look at the time! We both should be getting to bed," she said rather hurriedly. 

"Ginny—" 

"Goodnight Harry." And for the second time that evening, Harry was rendered speechless. Speech wasn't an option at this   
point, since Ginny had tightened her arms around him and planted her lips on his. A mixture of total shock, desire, and utter   
disbelief spiraled through Harry. Pure instinct made him clutch her too him, wanting to never, never, never let her leave as her   
soft, warm, lips pressed against his. Just as quickly as it happened, the kiss ended. Ginny stood up abruptly, her eyes dreamy.   
Harry was sure he was wearing the same expression, but wasn't too sure as he couldn't see her too clearly with his glasses   
fogged up as they were. He might have imagined that she was sort of wobbly, because she swiftly dashed off up the stairs,   
calling out breathlessly over her shoulder, "See you tomorrow!" 

**So much for kissing her senseless. She just did that to you. ** _Oh. My. God. _ Harry didn't move for several more minutes as he tried to catch his breath and get his mind back together. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
A/N: Well, Harry's certainly in a fix now isn't he? Doesn't know what to make of 'poor Ginny'. Oh, spot the hidden Beatles lyric if you can... Thanks for all the reviews! : )   
  



	9. Senseless Again

chaser9 **Ginny Weasley, you just kissed Harry Potter senseless, what are you going to do now?** Ginny collapsed against the   
bathroom wall in a fit of hysterical giggles.   
  
**You do realize your nightdress is on backwards don't you?** _No, but I'll fix it. It's a wonder I managed to get this thing on right at all. Oh my God, I just kissed Harry Potter senseless!_   
  
**You don't seem to be entirely lucid yourself there, old girl.** _ That was a given from the moment I plopped down on his_   
_lap. It was amazing that I was able to pull the whole thing off at all, especially after he caught on and winked at me._   
_God, why does he have to do that??_   
  
**I particularly enjoyed it when his glasses fogged up.** _It was a wonder I could stand at all, but I knew I needed to quit_   
_while I was ahead. Oh God, I just kissed Harry Potter senseless! Bet he didn't see that one coming!_   
  
**So, how long are we going to make the poor boy suffer like this?** **I'm starting to feel sorry for the chap.** _Just a bit longer. He's made me suffer for years, another week or so shouldn't hurt him. And he's just so adorable when he's confused._   
  
**True, but you do know that he is totally unaware that you were suffering, as you so put it. It seems to be a bit evil when you know exactly what you are doing.** _I don't like that word evil! You make it sound like I'm a Malfoy or something. I'm just being a bit naughty._   
  
**But you have the poor boy so confused he doesn't know which way is up anymore! And where did you get the gumption to start this tonight anyway? **I_ have no idea. Just saw that Ron was the only idiot in the room and it just came to me. Harry was all alone on the sofa, and to be honest, he was the one who pulled me in his lap the other day, wasn't he? So this is sorta his fault, isn't it?_   
  
**Don't think he'd see it that way.** _That's his problem._   
  
**Well, do stop giggling and go to bed! We have a long day tomorrow.** _Ok, just a few more minutes. I just kissed Harry Potter senseless, this takes a while to digest._   
  
*******************************   
  
_So, things have gone from bad to just weird. Ron's not speaking to me, Hermione keeps on giving me these looks, and_   
_Ginny…well, I don't think I know who she is anymore._ ** Must've been that kiss. ** _Gee, you think?_   
  
It was breakfast time and Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were sitting with the other Gryffindors, getting glowers from the   
twins, knowing smirks from Angelina and Alicia, and just well…things were a tad uncomfortable for Harry. Ginny was acting   
like nothing ever happened last night, which was hardly the case for Harry, since he couldn't get his mind off of her…or that   
mind-blowing kiss she gave him.   
  
_Is she trying to drive me out of my mind? Cause I'm there!_ Ginny was sitting right next to him at the table, sneaking glances   
at him out of the corner of her eye and casting furious glares in Ron's direction. When he greeted her this morning as she came   
down the stairs with Hermione, he'd seriously considered kissing her again, but the look Ron gave him was enough to cool his   
ardor. And Ginny merely smiled up at him, like nothing had happened at all last night, and wished him a "good morning" and   
then exclaimed she was starving. Harry, flabbergasted, followed her downstairs.   
  
**Well, what did you expect? That she was going to throw herself into your arms and declare her undying love? ** _It's a_   
_good start. She could at least act like that kiss meant something to her! Hell, she could barely stand up straight after it!_ **How could you tell? Your glasses were fogged up. **_ Shut up!_   
  
Harry threw his fork down in a brief fit of a tantrum. "Something wrong, Harry?" Ginny asked. It was evident that she was   
trying very hard not to laugh.   
  
"Um, no," Harry replied, embarrassed. "I'm just a bit tired." Ron was shooting daggers at him, and Hermione was absently   
reading a book, pretending to not to hear what was going on.   
  
"Can't imagine why," Ron said sarcastically. "Especially since you were so comfortable with your good friend," he added,   
frowning at his sister. Ginny shot her brother a glare.   
  
"Oh, hush up, Ron," she must have kicked him under the table since he flinched and his ears pinkened. "Honestly," she said,   
rolling her eyes, rather in a Hermione-ish way.   
  
Ron, finally disgusted with his sister and best friend had had enough. "Fine!" he said loudly, and pushed up from the table.   
Hermione smiled at the both, and said, "Well, I guess I should go calm him down before he kills you both." and she followed   
her temperamental boyfriend.   
  
Ginny laughed as Hermione left. _ Who are you and what have you done to the sweet innocent Ginny who was so shy_   
_around me? _ **This is just a new side we've never seen before. I rather like her. ** _I love her, but this is getting out of hand! I don't know which way is up anymore, she's got me tied in knots!_   
  
"Well, I'm off too. I've got History of Magic," Ginny said turning to him. "Are you ok, Harry? You look rather lost or   
something?"   
  
"I'm fine."   
  
"Well, have a good day!" And before Harry's mind could register what was going on, she was leaving the Great Hall.   
  
"Hey, Ginny! Wait a second!" he called after her, running to catch up to her.   
  
"Yes?" she asked, giving him a blinding smile.   
  
_Uh, do you perchance remember kissing me senseless last night? Could you possibly do it again? _ **That's not what you**   
**were going to say! ** _Yes it is!_ **Is not!**   
  
"Uh, so I'll see you at Quidditch Practice this evening then?" **Bloody useless coward. **_ Chicken._   
  
Harry could have sworn there was another devilish gleam in her eye as she said, "Wouldn't miss it for the world," and walked   
off.   
  
The rest of the school day went down from there. Potions was particularly nasty with the first match being less than a week   
away and the Gryffindors and Slytherins casting glares across the room and Snape doing his best job to take points from   
Gryffindor. Then there was Ron giving him glares that would put Draco Malfoy's to shame. Needless to say, Harry was not in   
a good mood by the time Quidditch Practice rolled around.   
  
_Life was ever so simple before I noticed Ginny Weasley._ **Amen.**   
  
Ginny was already down at the pitch with Angelina and Alicia. It was a very uncomfortable walk for Harry with Ron, George   
and Fred who were all giving him the cold shoulder, or shoulders as it were. Harry also needed to speak with Ginny. When the   
Chasers had noticed the others, they all ceased the Hawkshead Attacking Formation and joined them on the grass.   
  
"So." Fred said.   
  
"So." George repeated, looking from Ginny to Harry.   
  
Ginny smiled at her brothers. Angelina and Alicia joined in.   
  
"Are we going to stand here until game time or do we practice?" asked Ginny, getting rather tired of the silence. You could cut   
the tension with a knife.   
  
"Right, well. Let's go." Ron shoved off. The others followed, the girls giving the boys very frustrated looks and rolling their   
eyes.   
  
Practice wasn't going well. It was rather difficult when three of the team members refused to speak to the Seeker. If they   
needed to speak to Harry, it was through another person, "Alicia, tell Harry that he's flying a bit to the right!" When time out   
was called, tempers were high and esteem was low. "The Slytherins will have no problem beating us if we play like that during   
the game," Alicia moaned angrily.   
  
"Yeah, with our Seeker up there with his head in the clouds and not on his game," agreed Ron, shooting an infuriated glare at   
Harry, who was standing off to one side leaning on his Firebolt.   
  
"My mind was on the game, thank you, but it doesn't help when three certain bullheaded prats won't even speak to the   
Seeker!" Harry shot back.   
  
"Well, if the Seeker would keep his hands off my little sister, we probably wouldn't have this problem!"   
  
"ENOUGH!" Everyone turned to look at Ginny. She looked like she had just taken a bit of Pepper-Up Potion. She was   
practically steaming, and her eyes had that wild look in them.   
  
_Uh-oh. There's going to be trouble._ **God help us all.**   
  
"You three!" she roared pointing at her three brothers, who were now staring at her in a mixture of amazement and fear.   
"Watch this!" Ginny marched up to Harry, jerked his head down to her level and planted her lips on his. Moments later she   
pushed him away and faced her brothers. Harry fell backwards, nearly stumbling.   
  
"Now deal with it! And leave him alone!" she yelled and hopped on her Nimbus Two Thousand One and kicked off. Angelina   
and Alicia joined her, nearly falling off their brooms with laughter.   
  
Fred, George, Ron and Harry all gawked at each other in utter shock. The three Weasleys gave Harry a stunned look as they   
too, followed the others up into the air, leaving Harry to collect his wits.   
  
**Bloody hell. She did it again.**_ I don't believe it._   
  
~~~~~~~~~   
A/N: My apologies for this chapter being a bit short. I'm sort of pressed for time. Oh, and to the H/H shipper that left such a   
nice review, welcome aboard the H/G ship! : ) Nice to have you with us!   
  
  
  



	10. The Boy is Lethal

chaser10 A/N: Thanks everyone who has told me how much they loved this, (you guys rule!) and I do have to warn   
you guys, this is getting near the end. : ( Might just be a few more chapters or so.   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
Ginny wrestled with the Bludger, trying to force it back into the box. After the…confrontation with her brothers, they had given   
her a wide berth and seemed to be much nicer to Harry.   
  
_I guess this is my punishment, huh?_ **Don't complain, the expressions on everyone's face was worth it if you ask me. And**   
**Harry is here, helping you clean up. That's got to be a good sign.** _He hasn't said anything to me, though. He just keeps on giving me these really, really, really smug smiles, the arrogant prat_. **Well, this is the second time you've kissed him in as many days.**   
  
It was true. Harry, as he was putting the Snitch and Quaffle back in their nets and into the chest, was glancing her way and   
smiling every so often, like a cat who has just discovered a mouse. Ginny placed the other Bludger in its place next to the first   
one and wiped her hands on her robes.   
  
"Well, that seems to be everything," she said brightly, hoping to get some sort of remark from him.   
  
"Umm-hmm," came the reply as Harry closed the chest shut and straightening up. They faced each other for a moment. _Why_   
_am I starting to get nervous? _ **Could be that look on his face, the boy is definitely up to something.**   
  
"Well, lets get this stuff put up and head back to the castle, I'm getting hungry," she said, wanting to break the silence that had   
fallen over them.   
  
Harry simply smiled again and nodded as he lifted the chest and carried it over to the shed under the stands. He placed the   
chest inside and placed a locking spell on it. Madame Hooch was the only person who could now get inside. Ginny watched   
him as he did this, wondering what the devil he could be up to. Harry strolled back, that same cat-and-mouse smile on his face.   
He walked right up to her, very close in fact.   
  
"Ginny?" he almost whispered in a very deep, soft tone. 

"Yeah, Harry?" She swallowed nervously, noticing the very devilish gleam in his eye. She almost swore she saw horns growing   
out of his head.   
  
He leaned in further, where he was almost nose to nose with her. "It's my turn to kiss you senseless." He pulled her to him as   
warm firm lips descended onto hers. Ginny felt her world spin out of control as he kissed her. A bit later, he raised his head,   
his green eyes practically sparking.   
  
"Are you senseless yet?" he grinned, knowing the answer already.   
  
**YES! ** "Um…no, not yet."   
  
His grin got bigger, and even more devilish. "Let me try again," he whispered against her lips just before giving her a very deep,   
slow kiss.   
  
When his lips left hers, stars swam before Ginny's eyes as she tried to focus in on the dark haired boy in front of her. If it   
wasn't for the pair of arms holding her tight around the waist, she would have collapsed at his feet. A steady pulse thundered in   
her ear. She wondered if Harry could hear it.   
  
"What about now?" he asked.   
  
Ginny had to learn to breathe again before answering, "I'm not as easily rendered senseless as some people."   
  
He chuckled and kissed her again. This was the worst, or best of them all, as Harry didn't merely kiss her, he tasted her in a   
long, hot mind blowing kiss, biting gently on her lower lip and tracing a path to her ear and pressing another kiss just on the soft   
patch of skin just below her earlobe. Ginny's mind could barely register that he seemed to have a problem breathing as well   
since puffs of warm air stirred the hair around her neck.   
  
"I think that one pretty much did it," he gasped, causing her nerve endings to go haywire, sending shivers down her spine.   
  
Ginny could only nod slightly. _He_ is_ lethal. _ **Oh yeah.**   
  
***********************************   
  
How Ginny got back up to the castle was a complete mystery to her. She couldn't seem to recall too much after that last kiss,   
only vague memories of Harry's strong arm around her as he led her up the great stone steps into the hallway.   
  
She was now happily seated in her favorite nook under the girls' staircase curled up in her favorite chair, which of course,   
turned out to be Harry.   
  
"So, let me get this straight," he drawled, as she pulled back from kissing him and laid her head on his chest. She could hear the   
thudding of his heartbeat in her ear.   
  
_Who knew Heaven was at Hogwarts?_   
  
"…you've been purposely driving me insane for the past few weeks, is that correct?" she heard him finish. She giggled and   
nodded. "And would this be because I've been a stupid, blind git for the past few years?" Ginny nodded firmly again, nuzzling   
his neck while his hands tangled themselves in her hair.   
  
Harry seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Fair enough," he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "So, now that I've   
been enlightened to the beautiful, talented, devastating firebrand known as Ginny Weasley, am I to be let off the hook now?"   
  
Ginny raised her head up and teased, "Do you want to be off the hook?"   
  
"Not really."   
  
Ginny laughed.   
  
"Who knew," Harry wondered aloud as he gazed out the window, "that the tiny, bright-eyed redhead who used to squeak at   
me from behind closed doors—"   
  
"I did not squeak!" Ginny said, outraged.   
  
"You did squeak!" Harry jokingly accused. "You came downstairs, squeaked, and ran back up."   
  
"Did not!"   
  
"Did too!"   
  
Ginny nearly fell out of the chair with uncontrollable laughter. "It wasn't a squeak! I was just surprised," she tried to explain.   
  
Harry was laughing pretty hard as well. "You squeaked!" he almost shouted.   
  
"Will you two keep quiet!" Ron apparently had come to investigate the noise. If he was surprised to find Ginny wrapped in   
Harry's arms, both of them hysterical with laughter, he didn't say anything. "Hermione and I are trying to study," he hissed   
through his teeth.   
  
"I didn't squeak!" Ginny explained to him, still laughing, as if Ron would come to her defense. Instead, he just gave them an   
exasperated glare and returned to where he and Hermione were studying.   
  
"You think he's finally clammed up about us?" Harry asked, lowering his voice.   
  
"Eh, who cares," Ginny said. "They're all bark and no bite anyway." She bit her lip, "I'm the one you have to watch out for."   
  
"I noticed," Harry said as he lowered his lips to hers again and proceeded to kiss her senseless.   
  
***************************   
  
_Ok, this turned out to be the best day in my life._ **I agree.** _This was better than winning the World Cup, or the House_   
_Quidditch Cup…_

**Which you've already done once.**   
  
_Or using Malfoy as a punching bag, or flying, or watching Dudley trying to squeeze himself through a door, or…_   
  
**I get the point. What's better, kissing Ginny senseless or having her kiss you senseless?**   
  
_I'm going to have to further experiment before I can answer that. It should take about eighty or so years._   
  
**Definitely.**   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~   
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! : )   
  
  
  
  
  



	11. Ginny Gems

"Oh, don't eat that one!" Ginny exclaimed as Harry was just going to pop a Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean into his mouth.

Harry looked at her questioningly, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I suppose you could eat it, if you like the taste of Petrol.I don't care for it much," she teased.Harry threw the bean down and held up a light pink one for her to inspect.

"What about this one?"

"Strawberry margarita."The bean instantly disappeared.

"Is this another one of your hidden talents?" he asked her, watching amusedly as she started separating the beans into two piles.

She nodded."If my brothers ever start speaking to you again, you'll have to get them to tell you about the time I gave them each a bag of these for Christmas, and picked out all the edible ones so only the really nasty were left," she grinned evilly."Fred still says he can sometimes taste the Bubotuber Pus flavored one."

  
Harry winced in sympathy._Who knew that she could be this much fun...when she's not kissing me senseless or driving me out of my mind, that is.__You certainly didn't, did you?It'll take eighty years before you have her completely figured out.It'll take longer than that._

Ginny scraped a pile of beans into the bag, cinching it shut.She turned a pair of twinkling brown eyes to him."Wanna give these to Ron?He won't eat them if I gave them to him," she said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Harry laughed."Sure, since he's not talking to me and all."

"I'm sorry about that," Ginny grew serious."If they weren't such—"

Harry gently squeezed her hand."It's not your fault.They just have to realize that you can't be their baby sister forever."Harry knew that Ron was just…well, being Ron, and although Harry never had had a little sister, he tried to put himself in Ron's shoes and be a bit understanding.He knew that Ron and the twins would eventually come to terms with it, at least they had stopped giving him murderous glares every five seconds.He'd make sure of it one way or another since their treatment of Harry upset Ginny, which was _not _acceptable.

Ginny's eyes twinkled as she leaned in closer to Harry, "Apparently they weren't the only ones suffering under that impression, were they?" she teased.

"I think you brought me around," he replied with a wink.

He smiled secretly as he noticed a slight pink appearing in her cheeks."Of course I did," she said smugly."I'm a really good Chaser," she winked back.

"But I'm an even better Seeker, and I know when I've caught a Golden Snitch.Or in this case, a crimson Snitch," he amended, giving a quick tug on her hair. 

Ginny's face flushed as she took a sip of her butterbeer settling back against the chair at the small table they were sitting at in The Three Broomsticks.This was not a normal Saturday, as they had both been awake since five am because of an early morning Quidditch practice.Fred and George, despite their carefree natures, could be as strict as McGonagall about Quidditch, making even Oliver Wood pale in comparison.It was their idea that the team needed to be prepared to play under all conditions, including thick fog and pounding rain, as was the weather this morning.They were all very tired and so no one hardly said a word as they practiced new moves and worked on their strategy.After Fred and George had declared themselves satisfied, Harry and Ginny left for Hogsmead, wanting to spend the entire day together.

With every hour Harry spent with Ginny, he learned something new and exciting about her.She was incredibly funny and several times, he had caught the attentions of the other patrons in the pub from where he was laughing quite loudly at something she said.He had experienced first hand that Ginny had a very strong mischievous streak in her, apparently inherited from her older twin brothers, when she gave him a piece of candy which immediately turned him a bright green for several minutes.She had apologized profusely, saying that she had forgotten what it was, which Harry doubted as she then explained that she had been working on them with Fred and George for the _Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_.They were called _Ginny Gems_, and were simply pieces of brightly colored hard candy, that would turn the victim into the color of the candy.Ginny told him that the green one she made was supposed to match Harry's eyes and she needed to test it out.It worked splendidly.

"I can't believe you just did that," he said as they left the pub, Ginny holding onto him as she was laughing.

"I'm so sorry, I just thought it would be nice to immortalize your best feature," she gasped."I really am sorry!" she added, standing on her tiptoes to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Hmmf."They strolled through the village, stopping here and there to gawk at the many window displays along the High Street, as they headed back towards the castle.

Harry was surprised when Ginny coaxed him into going into the Forbidden Forest.

"Ginny! We can't go in there!" He told her, trying to pull out of her grip._She's freakishly strong for such a tiny thing._

"Oh, please! You sound like Percy.There's something I want to show you, it's not far."She pulled him along, red hair speckled with the fading sunlight breaking through the thick cluster of trees.

"Remind me to tell you about the times I've been in here someday," he said, shivering at the memories past.

"Don't be such a baby!" she scolded.

Harry was affronted, "I'm no baby!"

"Shhhh! You'll scare them away. Now come!"Harry suddenly pictured her as a Muggle War General, ordering troops across enemy territory, which made him chuckle.

She stopped dead in her tracks, causing him to smash into her."Watch where you're going!" she hissed.

"Sorry!" he hissed back.She looked around for a moment, then led him over to what looked like the entrance to a cave."Ginny, is this safe?"

She turned to whisper at him, "I found this place in my first year here.I asked Hagrid about it and he said it was protected, nothing bad could touch it.She took out her wand and whispered "_Lumos_," and entered the cave, Harry immediately behind her.

For about a minute, the cave appeared as Harry imagined any cave would look, dark, damp, musty, the floor covered with leaves and moss.Ginny stopped again, and put her wand away."We don't need this anymore," she explained.

Harry couldn't see a thing.It was pitch black inside. He could make out the sound of water trickling down the walls.Then Ginny whispered some strange words:

# Over hill, over dale

_Through bush, through brier,_

_Over park, over pale,_

_Through flood, through fire,_

_I do wander everywhere,_

_Swifter than the moon's sphere;_

_And I serve the fairy queen,_

_To dew her orbs upon the green._

_The cowslips tall her pensioners be:_

_In their gold coats spots you see;_

_Those be rubies, fairy favours,_

_In those freckles live their savours:_

_I must go seek some dewdrops here_

_And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear._

Harry's mouth fell open.When her words ended, the cave suddenly lit up in a glow of brightly colored lights, as a small pool and waterfall appeared right before him.This was no ordinary waterfall, for the water in it was not clear, it was a brilliant silver, making the pool a constantly flowing mirror, which reflected Harry's face as he gazed in astonishment down at the water.The walls of the cave were no longer a deep gray stone, it was shining gold, embedded with millions upon millions of jewels of every color and size imaginable.

"Don't touch the water," Ginny whispered, her voice echoing in the small chamber.

"What is this place?" Harry wondered.

"This is where unicorns are born.Their mothers come here to foal, that's why this place is so protected.Unicorns have to be born among beauty. The water is the only water they are allowed to drink while they are young."

"You bring a stranger, Ginny Weasley."

Harry couldn't help the small gasp at the new voice.He turned around to see a centaur, but unlike any centaur he'd ever seen.Like everything else in the cave, the centaur seemed to be made of gold and silver.His body hair was a rich gold, the hair on his head a gleaming silver.His eyes were blue sapphires, set into a face the color of ivory.

"Hello, Balthasar," Ginny greeted the centaur.

  
Balthasar walked closer, staring intently at Harry."This is the Potter boy.I have heard much of him."

"Yes. Harry this is Balthasar.He watches over here."Balthasar's nose was almost touching Harry's as he studied him.Shivers ran up and down Harry's spine.

"He has a good soul," Balthasar pronounced."You are welcome here, Harry Potter."

"Thanks," Harry replied, not too sure what was going on.Ginny was beaming at him, like he'd just been declared King of the World, which pretty much described what he felt like at the moment, for some strange reason.

"I was just showing him this place for a few seconds," Ginny explained to Balthasar."We won't stay long."

"You are both protected here, Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter.May the light keep you safe from the darkness of the forest." The centaur disappeared into thin air.

"Wow!" Harry whispered."I didn't know centaurs could Apperate, and especially on Hogwarts' grounds.Won't Hermione be surprised to know this?" he grinned at her.

"You can't tell anyone about this place, Harry. It's secret."

"Don't worry, I won't."

"We have to be going.We're only safe as long as it's light outside, but I really needed to show you this."Harry had never seen her more beautiful with the glow of the pool illuminating her skin, while her eyes took on a glassy look, like bright stars.Ginny appeared as if she had sprung from the caves depths.

Harry could not contain the words that sprung from his lips."I love you."

Ginny smiled and leaned up to kiss him."I know.I love you too."


	12. A Bit of Harry

chaser12 A/N: Someone told me that all the characters in here were out of character. Hmm. This story takes place two years after   
we last left them in canon, so they all have had some growing up to do (Harry, Ron and Hermione are sixteen). And   
Ginny…well, I like her best because there's so much we don't know about her, there are just so many possibilities for her.   
And plus, I was getting really sick of the whole "Ginny is a suicidal maniac" portrayal done by others. Besides, I never took this   
story seriously, which is why it was so much fun to write in the first place.   
  
Ok, this is the last chapter. I have to say that I have been astounded and utterly amazed at how many wonderful reviews I've   
received over something that was written just to take my mind off my troubles, and give myself a cheap laugh. Had no idea so   
many people had the same sense of humor that I have, that is sort of scary actually : ) Anyway, you guys are the best! Love   
you all! : )   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
"Ok, team. This is it." Fred eyes scanned over each of them inside the locker rooms located under the stands.   
  
"You all know what to do." George chimed in.   
  
The first Quidditch match was about to start and while Ginny had once been excited about the game days ago, she now felt   
very, very sick. Her brothers and Harry had all ganged up on her at breakfast, making sure she ate at least half of her sausage,   
bacon, and toast. It now felt like lead inside her stomach. She sneaked a glance at Harry out of the corner of her eye. He   
looked so calm, so indifferent, as he leaned up against the wall, but she could see the excitement and barely concealed thrill   
sparking in his eyes. Her brothers had that exact same look in theirs; so did Angelina and Alicia. Ginny hoped she didn't look   
as nervous as she felt and tried to be as nonchalant as she could, by copying the same stance as Harry, by leaning back up   
against the wall, sticking her hands in her new scarlet Gryffindor Quidditch robes, as Fred and George droned on and on about   
how important this game was and reviewed the last minute strategies.   
  
Harry must have noticed her nervousness and leaned over to her. "Don't worry," he whispered in her ear. "You'll be great."   
His soothing voice did manage to calm her a bit and she gave him a tiny smile. He took her hand in his and squeezed it. Ginny   
turned her attention back to her brothers, who were still giving their pep talk.   
  
"….we've got the tightest Chasers in the whole school, we've got a pretty good Keeper, George and I are damn good Beaters,   
if I do say so myself." Fred said, while George pretended to blush and shuffled his feet.   
  
"Our Seeker's ok as well," Ron said, giving Harry a piercing look. "When he's not snogging my sister, that is."   
  
"RON!" This was the last thing she needed just before the game! Ginny started towards the bullheaded prat, intending to give   
him a beating he'd never forget, but Harry must have sensed what she was planning to do and held her back. She tried to shrug   
him off, but his grip was too tight.   
  
"Save it for after the game, Ginny," Harry murmured. "And I promise I'll hold him down for you." Ginny had to settle for   
giving Ron the worst of her murderous glares, which must have been pretty effective as he turned away from her staring straight   
ahead at the twins.   
  
Silence reigned over the locker rooms. Fred cleared his throat, then said, "Right! Let's go then!"   
  
Ginny stomped over to her Nimbus grabbed it. The rest of the team was quiet, as the tension in the air thickened. Ginny made   
no attempts to lower her voice as she called Ron just about every name she could think of in several languages. She was so   
furious she didn't even see the rest of the team file out. She whipped around smacking into Harry who was standing right   
behind her.   
  
"Easy there, tiger. Don't let him upset you, ok?" Harry gave her a hug.   
  
"Stupid idiot!" She hissed into Harry's robes as he held her to his chest. "Why does he have to be like that?"   
  
"Don't think about it." He grasped her face in both of his hands and stood back. "Close your eyes." Ginny shut them.   
"Now," Harry continued, "I want you to picture yourself in the air, can you see it?" Ginny nodded. "Can you feel the wind on   
your face, blowing through your hair as you score a goal?" She nodded again. "Good." He said. "Now keep that image in   
your head, ok?" He gave her a long searing kiss and then whispered against her lips, "You are going to do great."   
  
Ginny opened her eyes and gave him a dreamy smile. "Thanks, Harry."   
  
They left the locker room and joined the others outside. Ginny didn't even look at Ron as she marched straight past him.   
Noticing no one was following her, she stopped and turned around.   
  
"Well? Are we here to play Quidditch or do we just stand here all day?" Sarcasm laced her voice.   
  
Harry was the only one brave enough to tell her, "Uh, well…the pitch is over this way, Gin." He pointed in the opposite   
direction. They all snickered behind their hands.   
  
Ginny's face went as scarlet as her robes. "Well! The pitch is that way! Why aren't you moving?" she asked them, trying to   
save a bit of her pride as she swept past them, head held high, this time heading in the right direction. 

Fred and George guffawed. Angelina and Alicia chuckled. Ron still looked sullen. Harry just grinned engagingly.   
  
*******************   
  
Ginny's stomach felt like she had eaten a flobberworm whole as the pitch came into view and the roar of the crowd filled her   
ears. The first Quidditch match of the season was always one of the biggest, since by that time everyone was practically   
starving for the game. The Gryffindors were the loudest by far, and Ginny could just make out a huge banner, obviously made   
by Hermione that flashed "Go Ginny!"   
  
"And here are the Gryffindors!" Lee Jordan, the commentator announced. "Potter, Johnson, Spinnet, and the Weasleys times   
four. Yep, looks like the youngest of the bunch joined the team, little Ginny, the new Chaser, a very attractive redhead,   
although its probably not wise to mention that in front of her brothers. Or Potter for that matter."   
  
"JORDAN!" yelled McGonagall.   
  
"Just an aside, professor." Lee said. "And now the Slytherins, as usual, they seem to be going for more brawn than skill—"   
Boos from the Slytherin end drowned out Lee's sentence. He ducked a few flying objects thrown from the opposite end of the   
pitch where the Slytherins were, a sea of green against the stone colored seats.   
  
The Gryffindor Team faced off with the Slytherins, who were sneering at them. Madame Hooch was in the middle of the two   
sides. "Captains! Shake hands!" she ordered.   
  
Fred and George had flipped a coin to see who would be shaking hands with the Slytherin Captain, Melton Carrington, as   
neither one wanted to touch a Slytherin. Fred lost.   
  
The two captains shook hands, or rather tried to see who could break the other's fingers first.   
  
"Mount your brooms!" said Madame Hooch. "Three, two one…" The whistle signaled the start of the match.   
  
And Ginny was off! It was amazing how fast the anxiety left once she was in the air, her mind on the game. All thought left her,   
save for getting the Quaffle, passing it to one of the other Chasers, catching it again, ducking a Bludger zooming past her,   
streaking through the other players as she took the Quaffle from Alicia, ducking another Bludger, whizzing in between the two   
Slytherin Chasers. The Slytherin goal posts were in sight, the Keeper tried to block her…wait…she got past…she's ready to   
score, she aims…SCORE!   
  
"…of course, she's the fifth Weasley out on the pitch," Ginny heard Lee tell the crowd. "And appears to have the same talent   
as well. She's also the best looking of the lot, if you ask me."   
  
"Jordan! I'm warning you!"   
  
"Sorry professor." Lee said, although he didn't sound very apologetic. "TEN TO ZERO GRYFFINDOR!"   
  
Harry nearly stopped dead in mid-air when he saw Ginny score. He'd been trying really hard to search for the Snitch instead of   
keeping an eye on Ginny. Malfoy, up to his usual game of follow-the-leader, saw where Harry was looking.   
  
"Looks like you found you a bit of arse, eh Potter?" he jeered. "Although, she don't look like much to me."   
  
Harry whirled around and streaked past Malfoy, nearly knocking him off his own broomstick. The Firebolt was capable of   
turning 180 degrees at a moment's notice, and Harry made good use of this particular feature.   
  
"And Potter's must have spotted something as he nearly sweeps the Slytherin Seeker Malfoy off his Nimbus. Of course, that   
broomstick is no match for the Firebolt as it has a special feature which—" 

"JORDAN! Keep your comments to the game, please!" shouted McGonagall.   
  
Harry, now on the other side of the pitch, listened to Lee as he searched around looking for the familiar glint of gold.   
  
"Gryffindor takes the Quaffle again with a really nice interception from Alicia Spinnet, who then passes it to Ginny—duck,   
Ginny that's a Bludger! Nice roll there as Ginny neatly avoids that one. She hands it back to Alicia who then tosses it to   
Angelina—she's in scoring position—YES! Slytherin Keeper Alexander had no chance of getting to that one! TWENTY TO   
ZERO GRYFFINDOR!"   
  
Harry saw Ginny blow a kiss to him as she, Angelina, and Alicia soared around the pitch. Damn, she's good. He saw Malfoy   
behind him, still trailing him.   
  
The match continued and Gryffindor scored two more times, increasing the lead by forty points. Slytherin never even had a   
chance. "And it's Slytherin in possession—no, wait Gryffindor in possession as the Slytherin Chaser Malcolm gets hit by a   
Bludger. Good work there George or Fred! Alicia with the Quaffle, passes it down to Angelina, who throws it behind her to   
Ginny—great Reverse Pass there, ladies! These Chasers have excellent timing! And it's Alicia with the Quaffle tossing it back   
to—YOU DIRTY, FILTHY BAST—" 

Harry looked up just in time to see one of the Slytherin Beaters bash Ginny in the head with their club, sending her into a   
downward spiral. Apparently, they had come to the conclusion that the Gryffindor Chasers were just no match for their own,   
and had decided the best way to win was to take one of them out.   
  
"FOUL! FOUL!" cried the Gryffindors. Fred quickly called a time out so they could check on Ginny. Harry sped towards   
them. Ginny was clutching her head, surrounded by Angelina and Alicia, shouting at Ron, who looked very, very pale beneath   
his freckles.   
  
"I'm alright! Ron!" he heard her yell. "I'm fine!" A large, black and blue bump was rapidly forming on the right side of her   
forehead.   
  
Ron rounded on Fred and George, who were just as white as he. "Where the bloody hell were you two at when this   
happened?"   
  
"Don't you dare take it out on them!" Ginny yelled, still clutching her head. "I'm alright. You've all told me how hardheaded I   
am, now let's get back up there!"   
  
Ron wasn't convinced. He turned towards his brothers. "Let's back out. We can forfeit the game. We won't be out of the   
running. She's gonna get really hurt." Everyone gawped at him. Harry was flabbergasted. Out of all of them, Ron was always   
the most passionate about Quidditch. And for him to even _think _about forfeiting the game….it was just inconceivable.   
  
"Are you crazy!" Ginny shrieked. "Have you totally lost your mind!" she turned to the twins. "You two aren't really   
considering this are you?" 

Fred and George looked at each other. "Look, Ron," George patiently explained. "I'm just as worried about her as you are,   
but she's going to be fine. Besides," he added, "If she was hurt too badly, she wouldn't be yelling bloody murder at us!" He   
and Fred grinned at their little sister.   
  
Harry stood next to Ron, studying him. Ron face was still ashen as he stared after his little sister. Ron, noticing Harry, turned to   
him.   
  
"Just get that Snitch, Harry before they try to kill her!" he pleaded quietly so the others wouldn't hear him. It was the first time   
Ron had spoken to him directly in a long while. Ron's blue eyes were frantic with worry.   
  
"I will." Harry told his friend. Ron nodded, clasping him on the shoulder.   
  
Back up in the air, Harry searched madly for the little glint of gold. He blocked his mind from the game going on below,   
concentrating only on one thing—getting the Snitch before Malfoy. He was lucky that Malfoy didn't think about using the   
Gryffindor's time out to look for the Snitch alone; Malfoy wasn't that bright. The loud cheers coming from the crowd told   
Harry that Gryffindor must have made the penalty shot they had been given.   
  
Ginny's head hurt like holy hell. That was the only way to describe it. She expected that she most likely wouldn't come away   
from the game completely unscathed, but damn! she didn't think she'd be attacked in such a devious way. That club the   
Slytherin hit her with was ten times worse than what a Bludger could do, no matter how hard it was hit. White spots were still   
dancing before her eyes, but she was determined to prove to everyone that she could do this, no matter what happened to her.   
She scored again, taking her penalty shot against the Slytherin Keeper. The game resumed and she was forced to do a quick   
roll to avoid a Bludger hit her way; George neatly knocked it back towards the Slytherins. Taking no more chances, one of the   
twins was constantly trying to keep up with her, which was sort of difficult, with the speeds she was flying at.   
  
She ripped through the Slytherins like parchment, keeping up with Angelina and Alicia as they neatly tossed the Quaffle back   
and forth between them, dodging Bludgers, Slytherins, and Fred and George who tried to stay with them. Alicia scored again   
and Ginny cheered and waved at her as she did a victory flight around the goal post.   
  
"WAY TO GO ALICIA!" yelled Lee, as he danced around holding the magical megaphone to his mouth. "And the score is   
now sixty to zero!"   
  
Harry saw the Snitch, just a few yards beneath Ron. He kicked his Firebolt into high gear, knowing Malfoy was still frowning at   
the Slytherin Keeper, who almost had blocked the last goal. He was almost on it, he could see the tiny white wings fluttering as   
the Snitch flew out from under the posts, heading towards the other end of the pitch. He could hear Malfoy behind him; he   
could see the markings on the Snitch's wings; he could feel Malfoy try to push him away as he closed in on Harry. Harry   
reached out, his fingers stretched out to the point of pain, and then….   
  
"I'VE GOT THE SNITCH!" The tiny wings were beating in his palm, tickling him. Harry felt six other beings smash into him   
as they all glided down to the ground, screaming at the top of their lungs. The other Gryffindors rushed the pitch and Harry   
could barely hear Ron tell him, "Good one, Harry!" over the noise. Fred and George lifted Ginny on their shoulders as they   
marched back to the castle, while she yelled good-naturedly for them to put her down.   
  
*************************   
  
Ginny swore if just one other person patted her on the back, she was going to rip their arm off. She was sick from eating so   
many sweets that Fred and George nipped from the kitchen in celebration for the party the Gryffindors were having and her   
head was throbbing, although not as badly as before, and it could very well be from the volume of the noise in the common   
room rather than from the injury.   
  
She was sitting on the sofa, a cold compress against the bump to help from the swelling. She was laughing hysterically at the   
antics of her brothers, who thought it might be fun to test out their latest creation on the unsuspecting Gryffindors.   
  
"Come on Harry, try one!" urged Fred. Harry, upon examining the offered candy, shook his head.   
  
"No way! Don't really care for Ginny Gems, although I am rather fond of the namesake," he said, giving her a wink. She felt   
her cheeks heat up. 

Fred's face fell. "You told him!" he accused his sister.   
  
"He's already had one," she grinned. "Turned him green for about three minutes."   
  
Fred laughed. "Good one!" George came over to Harry, extending his hand. "No hard feelings, eh Harry? We were just having a bit of a laugh at you." 

"Yeah, Harry," Fred joined in, "We didn't mean _too_ much by it….can't say that for our youngest brother though…" 

Harry just smiled and returned the handshake. He'd figured as much with those two. 

Ginny laid her head on Harry's shoulder, wishing for a bit of peace and quiet, just to soothe her headache. She smiled as she   
watch Ron and Hermione fight their way through his fan club, with Ginny's friends Amy and Patricia in the lead. Ron had   
seemed to be nicer to Harry, which Ginny thought darkly, was more likely because of the win today than anything else.   
  
Harry gently checked her injury. "Does it hurt," he asked, his emerald eyes alight with concern.   
  
"I'm fine," she assured him. "You were great today."   
  
He beamed. "So were you!"   
  
Ginny leaned in closer to him to teasingly whisper against his lips, "I bet I can kiss you senseless before you can kiss me   
senseless."   
  
She watched Harry's eyes flare. "You're on," he replied just before taking her mouth in a hot kiss.   
  
Ginny was well on her way to being quite senseless, when she started to hear her name being called out through the slight haze   
that settled into her head.   
  
"Ginny!"   
  
"Ginny!!"   
  
"GINNY!!!" Ginny jerked back, ready to kill whoever was interrupting her when she saw Ron's grinning face right above them.   
  
"What?" she hissed.   
  
Ron smiled sheepishly. "Sorry," he explained, "But you had a bit of Harry on your face. He's gone now though." Ron and   
Harry both broke into gales of laughter, especially when Ginny placed a well aimed kick to Ron's shin. She supposed that was   
his way of apologizing, the silly prat. She snuggled back up against Harry, who was still chuckling.   
  
**Well, this is it, Ginny Weasley. You've won the guy, you've won the game, what else is there? ** Ginny snickered at the   
thought.   
  
"What are you laughing at?" Harry asked, throwing an arm around her.   
  
"Nothing. Just the voices in my head. They make me laugh sometimes," she explained.   
  
Harry rolled his eyes. "Wish mine did that," he told her. "They normally drive me insane." **What?** _We got you the girl didn't_   
_we? See if we ever help you again! _ **I agree. If it wasn't for us, you'd still be floundering around, you twit.**   
  
****

** The End (well, not really...)**   
  



	13. Epilogue

A/N: I'm still amazed at how many people liked this little bit of silliness

A/N: I'm still amazed at how many people liked this little bit of silliness. Anyway, I thought I'd write a short epilogue.

WARNING: EXTREME FLUFF AHEAD! : )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One year later…

** **

**Pay attention.**_I am paying attention._**No, you're not. You are daydreaming about Ginny again.**_I can do both things at the same time, thank you very much._**No, you can't.**

_ _

_Besides, I haven't seen Ginny all day._**You saw her at lunch.**_Yeah, but then she wolfed it down so fast and gave me a quick peck on the cheek!_**You are staring at her now, you know.**_This doesn't count. I can't do anything _but_ stare at her._ **Poor baby.**

Quidditch season had started again. Harry was sitting in the locker room, listening to the new captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team run the entire team through the mill over their performance in the last match. Fred, George, Angelina, and Alicia were gone, and the new captain found some pretty good replacements, including a pair of beaters—two Gryffindor fourth years—that would make Crabbe and Goyle look like house-elves in comparison.

"Now listen here, you lot," the new captain said, marching up and down the room, giving each person an intense look, "I don't ever want to see anything like that last game against Hufflepuff. EVER!"

"Aw, come on!" Ron protested, turning the captain's eyes towards him. Harry secretively scooted back in his chair. "We won, didn't we? And we weren't that bad."

"It was absolutely embarrassing!" roared the captain. "I can't believe how you—" the captain pointed an accusing finger at Ron, who went red at the ears—"let Hufflepuff score three times in a row. And where were my Beaters when that Bludger hit Lisa?" Lisa Stanton was one of the new Chasers, a fifth year. The other Chaser was none other than Denis Creevy, who was really quite good in Harry's opinion. Of course, that could be because he and his brother Colin chased Harry around the school for the past six years.

"The only reason we won the game at all was because Denis managed to score a goal right before Harry caught the Snitch!" Denis almost blushed at these words of praise from the new captain, and Harry tried his best not to grin delightedly as the captain's eyes stopped on him.

The new captain immediately launched into new and complex diagrams of Quidditch plays, the red and green chalk figures wriggling over the blackboard with a wave of a wand. Harry looked around at his teammates, each who were sitting up ramrod straight in their chairs, eyes following the figures on the blackboard. Well, all except for Ron, who was slouched down in his chair, muttering under his breath.

"She said this wouldn't take long," Ron murmured to Harry. Harry smiled, knowing Ron had plans with Hermione this evening and would most likely be late if this took any longer. Feeling a pair of sharp brown eyes on him, he suddenly turned back to the captain and nodded as a new series of diagrams were instantly conjured.

Before long, Harry's mind started to wander. **You aren't listening.** _Sorry, but I was just imagining how much fun its going to be kissing Ginny senseless afterwards._ **You think you both would be tired of that little game by now.** _Only when I'm dead. It might not be as fun then._ **Especially for her, you mean.** _Shut up!_

The captain finished going over the new plays." Any questions?"

_ _

_Can I kiss you senseless now?_** Don't you dare ask her that!**

No one else had any questions, and were all quite grateful to be dismissed. Ron jumped up and sighed "Finally!" as he scarpered out the door, leaving his sister to frown after him and his teammates to stare in amazement that anyone could move so fast.

Harry, however, made a beeline towards the new captain and had her backed up against the black board.

"I have a question, Captain."

The captain looked up at him, her brown eyes twinkling." Yes, Seeker?"

"Can I kiss you senseless now?" he asked just before he closed the space between them. He heard a few giggles and snickers from the rest of the team as they filed out of the locker room. Apparently, they still weren't used to the fact that the Seeker was head-over-heels in love with their Quidditch captain. 

"I think that about did it," Ginny said breathlessly once their lips had parted. "So, what do you think of the new captain?" 

Harry beamed down at her. "I love her. But I think she already knows that, doesn't she?"

"She probably wouldn't mind being told again. However, if you don't stop daydreaming when she's lecturing…." she scolded.

Harry laughed softly as he lowered his lips to meet hers again. It was a long time later when the left the locker room, their robes just a bit more wrinkled than before, hair tousled, and Harry's glasses were fogged up.

**Fin**


End file.
